The ups and downs of Dating
by KittyMayhem
Summary: It all starts with lunch, but where does it go from there? Seems Mousse has a thing For Ranma but it gets weirder when Ryoga steps in and give them pointers. And what's this about horns! Can it get much weirder? Yes...yes it can.
1. An Innocent Spice

**Disclaimers:**

I don't own any of them. I'm just borrowing them!

* * *

_Part 1:_  
An innocent Spice...

* * *

The gates would open soon.

Sooner than one could imagine.

At first he didn't think to really take part of such a realization, but the more he wondered about the known world as it was at the moment, the more he could feel it drifting within the very winds that played through the streets. The trees sang it loudly with every rustle of their proud branches, and the skies told of it when they were streamed with odd clouds of gray under a dull sun. Was it the end of the world as they knew it? Far from it. People were stilling running about acting like humans tended to; getting caught up in the daily dramas of the day. He snorted thinking about it as he stopped in front of the shop he was currently residing at. The daily dramas of his life were nothing like that of an ordinary human....

"Damn it! Can't a guy get a break here?!"

....nothing like them at all.

Without thinking to look back at the one whom had screamed about life not giving him a break, he walked into the shop under the gaze of his elder. He held up his hand to ward off the obvious question at her first glance of him and she said nothing more of it.

The gates were opening...

"All right, food!"

...and he was going to have to act soon.

The sound thunder of footsteps couldn't be heard over the thumping of his heart at the moment. For sanity's sake as well as his own preservation, he ignored all else and dashed away from the daily chaotic eruptions that had occurred with a single meeting. All it took was for him to be noticed with a single glance. It really didn't take much for all hell to break loose afterward. It was actually much simpler when he thought about it long enough. He was going to have to think about it, but not at the moment. Perhaps later in the privacy of his sleep would he think about it, but right now he was more concerned with getting something into his stomach. Namely something that wouldn't sit for days before it decided it wanted to leave the only two ways her cooking was allowed to leave.

He ducked into the place, not really noticing just where he had walked into at first. He looked about to see who he could bother for a quick meal that wouldn't cost him an arm and a leg, but he quickly found himself leaning toward fasting the moment he heard it.

"Nihao!!"

It would be like him to walk into a place without thinking about just WHERE he was headed. He waved her off and tried his best to avoid her, lest more trouble started. Despite his best efforts and screaming for her to get off, she latched on and stayed where she was plastered. The last thing he needed was another person trying to kill him.

"I thought one was supposed to let go if another wished it so," someone snorted. "It certainly looks like he doesn't want to be held."

Both he and the girl raised their heads to that voice, amazed to see what was on the other end of it. At least, he was amazed after being shocked into silence for a good moment of time. He was no longer who he had been known to be, and at the same time he was the same old guy whom found happiness in the same girl who was attached to him. He almost snorted and looked away from him, but something was nagging at him to keep staring. Just what was it?

He snorted this time and scratched the base of his new features lightly. "Quit staring already."

"W-what?? I mean....what happened to you??!"

"No worry bout Stupid Mousse," she said excitedly clinging to him once more. "Come! Shampoo make delicious new dish for Ranma!"

Ranma almost shrugged her off, but thought better of it in the end. "Can't I talk to Mousse for a minute? You just bring...whatever over here...okay?" Hopefully that would get her off his back.

"Oh!! Alright...you sit down yes?"

"Sure."

He was released from her grip in an instant. He sighed softly to himself and waited until she was in the kitchen to approach that man whom was deep into his thoughts at the moment. Just who was this version of an enemy he had known for almost as long as he had been here in Nerima? Since when did he grow up to be a man who was lost within? He sat down in the chair across from him, startling him quite severely.

Before he knew it, Ranma was ducking beneath a stream of crimson lightning. It was gone as quickly as it had come, but why had it come in the first place?! He looked to the source of the scent of smoldering wood, and then back at Mousse staring down at him. How could he have done that?!

Wait a minute....

"Please don't do that," he sighed wearily. "It's annoying."

"....You're not wearing your glasses. Why?"

"Because...I can see just fine."

"That's good...how'd you do it?"

Mousse gave him a puzzling look. "What are you doing here? And why are you acting like this?"

If anyone should have been asking that question, it should have been Ranma. Ranma sat back down at the table and rested his head on his fist. "I was wondering...what happened to you? And what's with the horns?" he asked, reaching out to touch them. "Are they real?"

"Quite real," Mousse sighed. Ranma's hand had stilled at the first sign of genuine hardness, his mind frozen with truth. He could understand it, but this wasn't something he acquired through accidents and mischief. This was something that was bound to happen, but such a mortal couldn't know that. He took Ranma's frozen hand into his own and laid it back on the table.

"Don't worry about how or why," he sighed. "It's here and now and there's nothing I can do about it."

"But...that attack..."

"You scared me...it was a reaction."

"Oh. Well...I suppose its better not to ask," he laughed gently. "I mean...at least you're not the menu's special anymore, right?"

Mouse snorted bitterly under a slight smile. No, he wasn't the special, but he could have cooked it in a heartbeat. He sighed to himself again. He was going to miss it all...

"What's wrong? Mousse?"

He shook his head. "I was...just thinking...about stuff."

"Shampoo?"

"No!!"

"What?"

"....it's nothing...really."

Ranma was on the verge of pressing him to talk, but a plate of Shur-mai and a glass of sweet tea shut him up. Did he really want to eat it now that he knew who cooked it? His stomach wasn't caring too much about anything else aside filling itself, but his mind was ready to let it starve itself to death. Food was food, unless someone like Shampoo prepared it specially for him.

"What's in it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Is new kind of spice! It very delicious!" Shampoo exclaimed. "Here! Eat!"

_**I need a guinea pig...Sorry Mousse.**_

"Not unless Mousse eats some first."

"Why not? I've got nothing to gain or lose," Mousse sighed.

_**What?!**_

Mousse grabbed one and popped it into his mouth before Shampoo could say anything. She covered her mouth, excusing herself to get Ranma something to drink. He glared at her before turning back to Mousse who appeared to be fine after swallowing. He picked up one and popped it into his mouth, chewing carefully then swallowing the contents.

"This tastes like the regular stuff." he murmured. "What do you think?"

"She put something in it," Mousse mumbled.

"What?!!"

"I don't know..."

"Whatever...look, about before...what where you thinking about?"

"You..."

Ranma blinked as Mousse clapped his hand over his mouth. He silently cursed to himself. How could she have put that in the food? Was she out of her mind?! He growled, more than ready to let her have it, but Ranma's silent laughter kept him from it.

"You were thinking about...me?" he asked again. "Why?"

"...I didn't mean for that to come out," he sighed.

"The food?" Ranma asked, pointing to it.

"...you know it. She placed True Spice in it."

"What!?"

"It's a spice that makes you tell your true feelings and thoughts...and nothing less than the absolute truth."

"Does it Really work?"

"Ask a question...if you dare to know the answer," he warned.

If he dared to know the answer? What kind of a threat was that? One that Mousse meant apparently. He toyed with the idea of asking him why again, but another question needed to be answered much more at the moment. He sat forward and looked him strait in the eye, determined to hear the answer to his one question.

"Why do you think I'm after Shampoo?"

Mousse snorted and sat back. "I don't think you're after her...but I do know you unconsciously draw her in," he answered. "Keeping someone's attention like that wasn't something I admired in anyone for quite some time. She was the only one I knew from China, the only one I wanted to be with, and you stole her attention from me. That was unsettling."

"You think I want her attention?!"

"No. As the years rolled on, I realized that her attentions brought about violence. Violence brought on from her clan and herself alike. Rather than seeing you hurt for real, I placed myself in the way. At least her focus would be on hurting me and not you."

"......what?"

"Besides," he snorted in amusement, "who the hell would want to live with someone who could poison my own food at a whims notice?"

Ranma had to laugh at that one. He was right. But just what did he mean earlier? He wanted to ask him, but Mousse looked at him this time. Was there more?

"My turn..." Mousse said suddenly. "Ranma, what do you think of Akane?"

"Exactly what I've been saying all the time! She's a cute girl who has no sense of taste but I wouldn't marry her if you paid me because I'm not interested!" Ranma clasped his mouth shut at Mousse toppled over with laughter. "Oops!! Did I say cute?!"

"It does work..." Mousse chuckled. "She must have the real thing in it this time."

"My turn..."

"Come on Ranma! Haven't you seen the proof?"

"One last question...come on! I just wanna know something."

"Fine...what?"

"What do you think of me?"

Mousse sighed to himself. It would be Ranma of all people to ask him that question.

"Look...I know you think I'm a jerk out to horde all the women." Ranma said flatly. "Just admit it."

He stared at him, unconsciously reaching out to take his hand on the table. "Admit what isn't the truth?" he asked lightly. His fingers curled around the other boy's fingers, drawing him in much closer than he would have normally allowed. "Admit to to you what you think I believe? Ranma...you are simple at best, you know that?"

"Just answer the question," he breathed heavily.

"You were warned..."

".....please..."

Well, if he wanted it he could have it. What more could he lose now?

"You're someone who's caught in the Chaotic winds of a martial art you undoubtedly naturally inherited. Most things befall you and you lash out unsure of how to handle what is just thrown in your face. Most of all, that Akane girl...."

Was he growling?! Ranma blinked as something like a fang decided to flash itself for a brief moment and blushed hotly when Mousse stood without letting go of their hands. He moved a seat closer and leaned in until he was only a breath away from stealing his lips.

"...you push people away, because you don't want to be hurt again. I don't want to be pushed away."

"....w-what??"

"I've never wanted to be pushed away. Shampoo always had your attention. That's something I hated more than anything else. I wanted your attention...not just your attention, but what you've denied even yourself. "

"....what are you...saying??"

"You know what I'm saying. I'm attracted to you. That's what I think of you."

Ranma swallowed his heart back into his chest and stared at Mousse gazing upon him. Was he kidding? This had to be some kind of a joke! Yet those eyes of his said nothing more than the truth. He didn't know what to think let alone say about the revelation, but some part of him wanted to believe it. No one had ever admittedly outright said that they were attracted to him for anything less than marriage in mind. Akane was the blatant example of arranged marriage gone bad, and Shampoo the result of traditions that should be avoided. Yet they both wanted him, and went about ways of trying to make him theirs whether they knew it or not.

Yet it took a man, Mousse no less, for him to see just what he wanted for the first time.

Ranma blinked when Mousse turned away from him and looked down at the plate unsure of what to say. He looked up at Mousse reluctantly with a faint smile and noticed Mousse looking at him out of the corner of his eye. They both blushed a little bit more and turned their gazes away from each other.

"Wow...that's kind of flattering..." Ranma said softly. "I mean...uh..."

"I didn't mean for that to come out...exactly," Mousse sighed. "I warned you about it."

"I know."

"...so now that you know, what do you intend to do about it?"

"....intend to do??"

"Do you intend to see me on Saturday and help me with my errands, or would you rather forget?"

Forget the one moment of honesty he had seen within his days here?! "Where do you want me to meet you?" he asked softly.

"I'll...come get you...and look out, here comes trouble."

Ranma looked over to where Mousse glanced once to see Shampoo coming over with some more tea. He clapped his hand on his forehead and looked down at his food groaning.

"Here Ranma!" Shampoo exclaimed. "You drink this."

"Um...I don't want to," he sighed. "There might be something in it..."

"It very good tea! Try it!"

"How long is that love potion supposed to work?" Mousse sighed wearily.

"What love potion?" Ranma asked.

"The one in that tea...or is that the antidote? Oh and when is this true feeling Spice supposed to wear off? If you were looking for the passion spice, we're out."

"Oh poo...that Spice wear off in an hour," Shampoo exclaimed.

"Thank you for that bit of Information."

"I'm gonna go now..." Ranma said as he got up from the table. "I'll see you Saturday Mousse."

"See ya."

Ranma waved goodbye as he ran out the doors of the Nekohanten. Mousse watched him for a minute then turned back to see Shampoo in his face. Being startled again for the second time that day, he winced inwardly as Shampoo fell backward from the aftershock of being electrocuted.

"Oops. Sorry Shampoo..." he said nervously. "You scared me."

"Ai ya." Shampoo said weakly. "What was that...?"

"Mousse... you should be more careful." Cologne said as she hopped by. "And you know why."

How could he forget? It was sitting on his head was it not? "I'll try," he sighed.

Halfway home, Ranma stopped and jumped up on a fence. He looked over to where the sun was setting in west and sighed as Mousse's words played itself over and over in his head. He couldn't help but wonder if Mousse was actually attracted to him, or if he was attracted to Mousse. He'd find out soon enough on Saturday, when Mousse came to pick him up.

"Did I just make a date with Mousse?" he asked himself. "I guess I'll see..."


	2. Unveiled Images

* * *

No own! No SUE!

Part 2:  
Unveiled images

* * *

At home:

Ranma sat in the corner of his room with his head hung in thought. He glanced from left to right eying them one by one. Just as he thought it was impossible to choose, Akane popped in and looked over his shoulder.

"Ranma...what are you doing?" she asked. "And why are your clothes on the floor?"

"Im trying to decide which outfit to wear," Ranma sighed. "Should I wear my green uniform, my good white shirt and blank pants, my blue uniform or my red sleeved shirt with the black pants? What am I saying? Scratch that last one."

"Go with the blue uniform...why are you picking out an outfit?"

"Um...no special reason..."

_Just the fact I might be going out with Mousse,_ he thought wryly.

"Are you going somewhere?" Akane asked suspiciously.

"Um...not really." Ranma lied.

"Not really...?"

"What are you doing in here anyway?! Don't you know how to knock?"

Akane knocked Ranma on the head with her fist, sending him face first into the floor.

"Anybody home??!" she growled.

"What did you do that for?!" he shouted. "You are so uncute!!"

"Whatever...I only came up here to tell you Mousse called and said he'd see you at eight in the morning. Are you two planning to fight over Shampoo again?!"

"I could care less. And we're not fighting. I'm helping him out with something."

"Oh really? What might that be?"

"None of your business! Look it's nothing big."

"Oh what are you two dating now?" she said dryly.

Ranma blushed at the thought of that and swallowed the lump in his throat. He just finished putting the rest of his clothes away leaving out the blue uniform.

"It was just a joke Ranma..." Akane giggled. "You can take a joke...right?"

"It wasn't funny." Ranma stammered. "I'm...just gonna go to sleep now."

"It's only nine."

"Well I'm tired...and I've got to get some shut eye."

"Okay...I get the hint. Fine. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Ranma saw Akane to the door still blushing and shut the door soundly behind her. She stuck her tongue out at the door and stomped off mumbling stuff underneath her breath. Ranma waited until she was good and gone to crawl back to his closet and pull out his brush and comb. He sat down in front of his mirror and began to brush his hair all the while wondering at Mousse's words.

"Am I really doing this?" he sighed. "And does he really...?"

* * *

"....am I really doing this? Knowing what will happen in a year's time?"

His hand stilled mid-stroke in the middle of his nightly brushing, staring at himself at then at the picture that haunted him to no ends. A chance encounter with a black rose had given him the chance to swipe it, though he was sure that she wasn't going to miss it. It was an actual moment of clarity for him, a moment where he wasn't wrapped up in and swept away in the chaos that loved to make its home around him. He sat looking to the heavens, clearly thinking about something, but his eyes were at peace. He was at peace. He wanted nothing more than to see him like this again, but that was clearly a long ways from now.

Nothing would ever be peaceful now that his awakening was at hand.

"Why do I love you?" he whispered. "I know that...this is impossible. I'll only hurt you...and myself in the end."

He knew it wouldn't answer him, but he wished that someone could give him some kind of an answer that made sense. He sighed quietly and picked up his brush again, minding the horns upon his head when he came upon that area. He was going to have to cover this up, and soon if he didn't want to get caught.

"So, Mousse...I love your horns," someone whispered from behind. "It's very becoming....considering what you are."

"So what?" He stopped brushing his hair entirely and swiveled around in his chair to see a lost man gazing down upon him. It was hard to imagine that someone like him would know of his heritage, but then again, he was a hard man to read. He received a small smile for his thoughts and watched as he moved closer to him. What was he doing here anyhow?

"What's the matter?"

"Never mind. What do you want?"

"What do **_you _**want?"

"Huh?!"

Ryoga plopped down next to Mousse with a knowing look in those hazel eyes. He knew something, but the question was _**what.**_ "I've seen you looking at him, He's got a cute ass ne?"

"Yeah...W-wait a minute!! Why would you be concerned?!" He sputtered realizing just what Ryoga had said. Fang boy shrugged, making himself more comfortable on his makeshift bed.

"Hey, I can go both ways. You think I haven't tried?"

"Wh-what? You..."

"Never mind me. You my friend have got the hots for Ranma." Ryoga picked up the picture with a grin that could out do that damned cat from Alice in wonderland. "Bad." Mousse looked away from Ryoga, blushing with a fevering red. Ryoga turned his head toward the Amazon and sighed heavily. Poor kid. He fell under the spell of Ranma unknowingly. "Did you ask him?"

"I could do nothing less than suggest it, thanks to a little spice," he admitted. "Surprisingly enough, he wants to go with me, even though I offered to forget what I said."

"Did he? Well, if you want my advice...."

"Who said I wanted it?"

Ryoga stood up and eyed the closet. He swooped over and opened it, then pulled out a new robe Mousse had recently purchased with his savings. He actually had good taste for a blind man. "Wear this one. He seems to like you in this one."

Mousse just looked at him. Since when was Ryoga an expert in this?! He gets lost often enough to round the world in the time it takes to get back here! When did he go out? Ryoga just tossed the robe to him and sat back down.

"You should be the last one I expected to aide me at this point in time," he muttered eyeing the robe. "You know what's going to happen."

"I do...but I think you should find a little happiness before devoting your life to some unknown. Live a little."

He snorted and eyed the robe on the bed. "This one? Are you sure?"

"Trust me."

* * *

Saturday:

Ranma came running out of the bathroom toweling his head and didn't even bother to cover himself up. He hopped up the stairs with a leap and streaked it past Akane and Nabiki, who just happened to have her camera. She snapped photos of him until he ran into his room and smirked to herself, knowing she'd get rich off of him streaking through house. Akane just blushed brightly and clenched her fist in anger as Ranma came back out fully clothed and dressed. He grabbed the Camera from Nabiki and ducked under a punch from Akane while slipping Nabiki a roll of yen.

"I've been saving that for weeks for something I wanted but seeing that these pictures are more important you can have it." Ranma blurted out in one breath.

"You pervert!" Akane exclaimed. "You just streaked through the house!! There are women in here!"

"I'm not the only one who does it. Happosai does it to."

"He does not!"

Happosai ran by with nothing on him but a leaf to cover himself. Akane and Nabiki facefaulted and Ranma took the opportunity to grab the money back from Nabiki.

"On second thought...I'll take both," he smirked.

Ranma ran down the stairs just as the doorbell rung and raced to answer it before everyone else. He opened the door and frowned when he saw Ryoga there instead of Mousse. Ryoga blinked as Ranma ran by several times then came back to the door with a piece of toast in his mouth.

"What do you want?" Ranma said in-between bites. "If you want to fight me take a rain check for another day."

"Whoa...what's the rush?" Ryoga asked. "And no fighting today?"

"No."

"Mind if I just hang around then?"

"I won't be here P-chan."

"I figured that out already. I'll just make myself comfortable...and you will tell me what happens today with Mousse, right?"

Ranma blinked. "Huh? How did..."

"It's written all over his face when he looks at you...but never mind me."

"Wow..."

Ranma finished eating his toast when Mousse appeared through the gate. Ranma gulped and slipped on his shoes before grabbing the camera and film and heading out. The Panda came out with a curious look along with Soun just as he reached the gate.

**Sign:** Where are you going?

"I'm going out for the Day Pop!" Ranma yelled. "I'll be back later!"

"Shouldn't you take Akane?" Soun asked pulling Akane to the door.

"Hey!! Let me go!"

"No. For once she can't come!" Ranma shouted.

"Oh I get it...boys only huh? Well, enjoy!"

Ranma blushed again when he turned around to face Mousse. Mousse was studying the camera and money in his hands.

"What's this for?"

"I'll explain later...I have to develop these..."

Mousse looked up to him with his head cocked in wonderment and followed Ranma outside the gates. "I hope you don't mind, but...I've got to go food shopping for Shampoo and Cologne."

"What?! They make you do that?"

"I'm a male...what can I do?"

"You do this every Saturday?"

"Yeah...it's way boring..." Mousse pulled out the list. "It's not a lot this week."

"Let me see that." Ranma took the list away from Mousse and studied it. "Flour, milk, eggs, Ramen ...what's this?"

"That's from the herbal shop. You can still back out."

"What for? I'm happy right here."

Mousse blushed a bit seeing Ranma's one sided cheesy grin.

"By the way, nice robe."

Mousse couldn't help but be amused. That man was actually right for once...

* * *

**A little bit later...**

"That's done." Ranma said walking after Mousse. Mousse nodded in agreement. Having done the shopping, which Ranma was really good about, they found themselves back on the streets heading for someplace. The question was where.

"Hey, where should we go now?" Ranma asked getting close to Mousse. Mousse shrugged, turning to him with a confused eye.

"Didn't you have some pictures?"

"Oh yeah!" Ranma grabbed Mousse's hand without a second thought and pulled him along in a hurry. "Come on! I don't want copies of those posted on the walls!!"

Before he knew it, he was being dragged into a photo store. Seeing that the camera itself was a digital disposal, it didn't take too long to get them developed and back in Ranma's hands. As soon as they were back in his hands, he took them from him ignoring the protest from his lips. One by one he flipped through the photos, smirking lightly when he found the reasons for his extremely red cheeks. Without asking, not that he was planning to, he snatched the best one out of the pile and tucked it away much to Ranma's confusion and utter horror.

"Nabiki is good with the Camera," he said thoughtfully as he walked out of the store. He handed the pictures back, save the one that was tucked away in his robes. "She has potential."

"What do you mean?! And what are you planning to do with that picture?!"

Mousse laughed. It was a good thing they didn't have any truth spice in them. He shook his head and reached out to trace the reddened cheek of the one called Ranma. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to hurt your image," he reassured.

"....you...aren't??"

"Nope. Can I help it if I like your body as it is?"

He chuckled a bit more as Ranma literally turned red. Sighing lightly, he let his fingers get lost in the fine tresses of his bangs. For someone who worked so hard to survive the madness, he surely had some of the softest hair known to his fingers. Through the smells of the mall they happened to be dwelling in at the moment, he could plainly smell the scent of fresh water and flowers upon those strands. Under it was the sweet smell of his skin, pinked from his obvious embarrassment of his earlier statement. Just what was it about this man looking up at him that made it so hard to forget?

"What do you use in your hair?" he asked lightly. "I like it...whatever it is."

"A...special blend," he answered dazedly. Mousse ran his fingers through his hair again, smiling when he moaned quietly and moved closer than he had been. "I use it...when I work out too hard..."

"And that cologne?" he asked as his fingers worked their way down to the sensitive skin of his neck. "I really like it on you..."

"...It's..."

"Excuse me!! Excuse me...guys?!...could I just use you for a second?"

Mousse stopped his onslaught of Ranma's sensitive skin to look back at a girl innocently looking at him. It was more than apparent that he was tempted to tell her to get lost, if not for the familiarity of that face that was anything but. Though innocence shone in her smile and gaze, the wicked grin she flashed him for the briefest of seconds was enough to confirm it. He sighed inwardly as she whistled loudly.

"Excuse me," she said over the rumbling of the floor. "This will only take a second."

Mousse almost growled at her, but thought better of it when he and Ranma were awash in a sea of girls. Everyone had something in their hands and not one girl was left without something to do. Someone was writing down their measurements as they were being called aloud, and someone else was picking out the outfits that they were planning on making them wear. It was another sea of chaos waiting to unfold, and the girl it was all reported to was in the middle of it.

"You guys are perfect!" She cried.

"Perfect for what?" Ranma asked. "Hey quit it!"

"Please say you'll be my models for the my album!"

"Models?!" Mousse cried.

"Album?!" Ranma exclaimed.

"Please! I have been looking everywhere for models to replace the old ones and I've finally found you! Please say you be them! Please?"

"Like we have a choice," Mousse mumbled. "Ranma, do you mind?"

"Um...sure...I guess...we could help."

"Great! I thank you so much!!" she squealed. "Girls!! Let's get cracking!!"

"Hold it!! What is your name?"

"My name is Mina...and I thank you again...uh..."

"Ranma...and he's Mousse."

"You guys make a cute couple. Let's go!!"

Ranma and Mousse were carried away by the horde of women. Ranma shrugged when he looked over to Mousse. Cute couple? Were they even? This was only the first date...or was it?

* * *

_**In the Studio...**_

He had to admit, the girl had taste. She had a sneaky way of going about things, but her taste in clothing was on the money.

Mousse came back out again from changing out of the casual wear he had been forced into, now dressed for a bed he wasn't going to sleep in. He was wrapped up in a nice fitting black Chinese silk robe embroidered with a nice shimmering lotus print. He only had a pair of matching black silk pants underneath it. His long hair had been cut back into a ponytail, and his dark bangs had been left to hang over his turquoise green eyes. His slippers were residing on the floor near his bare feet, waiting for him to warm them again. It would be a while before he would be walking anywhere. As he looked down at himself, he wondered if that girl had been peeking into his memories. It reminded him of something he would wear before he were to bed his lover...

He sat on the cushioned bed in front of the camera, waiting for Ranma to come back out. It would do him no good to think along those lines.

_I wonder what he's dressed up as..._

His thoughts were answered with the appearance of a certain martial artist that always seemed to plague his thoughts now. He smirked wickedly into his hand, genuinely appreciative of what he had been given a chance to see. He too had on the robe, yet his was red. He only had on a pair of satin crimson boxers to where underneath it, giving him a clear view of his well defined body. Those shaped legs gently took him toward where he sat awaiting him, staring at him from head to toe. His robe fluttered effortlessly as he moved, drawing his eyes up toward his chest. It was there that they lingered with intriguing thoughts of devouring it during a private moment in the future. If he were his lover now, there was no getting away from him.

Ranma grinned showing himself off. "You like? You're not so bad looking yourself...handsome you might say..."

Mousse, still smirking, reached out to pull him back on the bed aside him. "Oh, really?"

"You guys ready?!" Mina asked. "This might take awhile ... "

"How long is awhile?"

"About an hour...or so..."

"An hour or so?!" they cried.

"Sorry...but I need the perfect shots of you two...I want you guys to be romantic. Like you're having an evening at home...just act natural and go with the flow okay?"

"Um... I guess we can do that..." Ranma said nervously. "What...happened to the old models?"

"They broke up unfortunately. He wanted one thing, he wanted another, and boom! They're gone."

"Oh."

"Great! Now just relax ...and go!"

Ranma was unsure of what to do until he felt Mousse's arms slip round his waist. He tensed up a little, feeling his heated breath against his face but relaxed as he whispered something in his ear. He giggled a little and turned his face up to him, whispering something back. Mina began taking her pictures quietly as they flirted with one another, smiling to herself.

**_This is going to be easier than I thought..._**she thought to herself. _**There's no way that he couldn't be...**_

Mina took shot after shoot of the couple and even got some silly shots to keep for herself.. Ranma and Mousse posed at times for the camera but most of the time talked quietly as they changed poses. It even got to the point where Ranma lay beside Mousse and snuggled up to him playfully, and planted small kisses on his cheek. Mousse smiled furiously under this new impression of Ranma.

Finally after and hour, Ranma and Mousse had gotten to the point where they had sat down on the cushions. They were still talking softly and peacefully until Mina interrupted them by clearing her throat.

"Hey you two....that was great!" she exclaimed. "But....I just need one favor."

"Yeah?" Ranma asked sitting up. "What do you need?"

"I need a shot of you two kissing."

"Kissing?!" they cried.

"Don't worry! You guys are naturals...but I need you to do it for two minutes...continuous kissing. Just think of it as a make out session...without the tongue. Please...no French kissing because it really doesn't look that great on film."

"Gee....if Shampoo was here, she'd kill us huh?" Mousse sighed wryly.

"That's for sure." Ranma sighed looking Down. "I've never kissed anybody for real before."

Mousse blinked. "Are you really shitting me??"

"Never...well not a guy. I always used tape."

"Film's reloaded!" Mina exclaimed. "Now...just do it whenever you're ready...and I'll stop you after two minutes alright?"

"Well tape boy....there's a first time for everything." Mousse grinned.

"Okay....ready....set, and go."

Ranma looked at Mousse once and then again when he saw him looking back with his eye lids scaling over his magnificent eyes of turquoise green. He felt his heart race against his chest as he inched himself closer to his nervous lips.

"Just Relax Ranma." he breathed.

"Okay...."

He remained frozen in place as Mousse lips just barely brushed against his. Feeling the heat from his breath upon his lips made his heart race a lot faster than it was now, but he kept his control and remained calm.

_**I'm a martial artist! Just relax...and let it come. Oh GOD what the hell am I doing?! Akane's gonna....**_

He watched as Mousse tilted his head and closed his eyes to Ranma, meeting him softly in a sweet but short kiss. He blinked once when he first put his tender flesh upon his and found himself melting into the moment as it lingered.

_**...His lips are so soft...**_

His eyelids became heavy and closed fully when Mousse let go of him a little.

"How was that?" he asked softly.

"Hmm? Why'd you stop? I was enjoying that."

"Really?"

Mousse kissed him again grabbing his upper lip softly with his and rubbed the tip of his tongue over it a bit prying it open. He never stuck his tongue in though, much to Ranma's dismay.

Mina just smiled to herself and took the pictures of them.

After about two minutes, Mina finished off her last roll of film. She smiled to herself and let the show go on for about another thirty seconds. After she had her fun she cleared her throat which only made them stop kissing each other and look up. Ranma licked the side of his lip as Mousse planted a playful kiss on his cheek.

"Guess what? you just had a small make out session." Mousse whispered.

Ranma giggled softly.

"Thank you." Sakura exclaimed. "We're done now...I really appreciate you two helping me out."

"No problem." Ranma grinned. "It was....fun."

_**Especially at the end.** _

"What exactly do plan to do with these pictures?" Mousse asked.

"Actually....I needed you guys as a project, It's for a photography class. Intimate pictures of couples!"

"Oh..."

"I'll gladly give you an album of the photos....where do you live?"

"Tendo dojo."

"I know where that is. Well....you can get out of these clothes and that's it!"

"Oh, so you're saying that I can kiss him for real now?" Mousse said with as much innocence as he could muster. That innocence quickly became wicked thoughts he couldn't help but bathe in as he snatched Ranma from his seat and pressed their lips together once more. He savored that moment, teasing him with maddeningly light licks of his upper lip. The man moaned against him openly, clearly awash in the moment.

Curiosity over a previous thought in the hour brought about his hand tracing its way up his smooth yet well defined side. It lingered a bit over his heart before teasing the exposed areola. Ranma moaned against his lips again, and into the air when he dove down for the prize, suckling for the briefest of seconds.

"M...M-mousse..."

He pulled away from it and teased the side of his neck with light kisses. "I couldn't help it," he chuckled. "Not when you look so damned hot in this..."

Ranma said nothing, daring not to travel down that road...even though Mousse's hand was playing with it.

* * *

_**At the Tendo household that night... **_

From the moment of the Photo shoot at the mall, Mousse had taken it upon himself to show Ranma a small night on the town. From goofing off throughout the mall to trying on absurd outfits, and ending it all with a satisfying dinner, it was hard to believe that they were back in the courtyard. It was only ten but it was late enough as it was. The night life they craved was still a little too much for him at the moment. Ranma was going to have to be a little older before he traveled down that road completely. He wasn't looking to hurt him or himself just yet this early in the game. He still had a little time before the unknown factor would pop up. The least he could do was spend it freely with someone he chose, not someone who was destined for him.

Ranma walked a little ways ahead of him before turning to face him. "Today was fun." he sighed contentedly. "I mean....I didn't expect to have that much fun."

"Yeah...it was interesting," Mousse replied. "And what a display."

"Well...I should go inside. I know Akane is going to mallet me for not being here to...eat her cooking."

"So I saved you from a sour stomach, did I? Well how about you repay me by accompanying me this Friday?"

"Friday?? Where to?"

"The movies to watch someone's brain being devoured."

"Sure...but..."

"But what??"

"....should I dress for the occasion...or come as is?"

Mousse shook his head lightly and moved closer than he had been. "I want you as you are now," he said. He moved a little closer, reaching out to pull Ranma closer by his shirt, and holding him by his waist when he folded into him. He breathed lightly upon his lips when he finally looked up at him, lost in his conflicting thoughts and his emotions. He wasn't sure about it either, but he wasn't about to throw it all out the window. "Just...like...this," he whispered.

Mousse moved to kiss him lightly on the cheek. Ranma made a sound of question, earning a quiet laugh from him. "You see....I would kiss you good night...but, I don't kiss on the first date."

Ranma blinked. "Then what do you call what we did at that shoot?!"

"Practice. Hopefully for future events."

Ranma blushed putting a hand behind his head. Mousse smirked and turned to go. Practice for future events? So they were together. Just thinking about it sent pleasurable shivers up his spine.

_**But...do I really want to be with him?**_ His subconscious thought._** Would it be wise of me to...go through with it?**_

Ranma messed with that thought as he put his hand to the door knob.

"Ranma."

"Hmm?"

"I changed my mind."

Ranma blinked before Mousse swept him up into his embrace and pressed his lips against his own.

_**Yes. Yes Yes!!** _That was the end of any more doubtful thoughts from his subconscious.

Mousse teased Ranma unmercifully, coaxing his tongue out of its cavern with light pulls of his bottom lip with his own. Without warning he claimed that tool for his own, loving it in a way Ranma wasn't used to. He pulled back a bit, but Mousse had him under his spell. There was no avoiding what he had unlocked, nor backing down from it.

Instinctively, he coiled his arms around Mousses neck to partially keep himself from falling and to return the kiss in full. Mousse kept and arm around Ranmas waist and had one on the wall keeping some of the weight off of Ranma. If he had fully pressed himself into him, he didn't know if he would die from the heat, or if the man would run away from his obvious desires. Apparently it didn't much matter. Ranma's desires were reciprocated as he pressed himself into him.

There was a strange heat rising up in his belly, but the source of it was unknown. It could have been the overwhelming emotion of the moment, or something more, but it was enough to make him stop the moment Mousse grabbed him from behind. He breathed heavily for air, trying to make sense of it all. What was this feeling? Why didn't he want to go back inside and leave him? He looked at him for an answer, but his questions were quelled with another kiss.

"I'll see you Friday?"

"Definitely."

They parted from the other, Ranma a little more than reluctant to move away from him first. Mousse was the one to take the first step back, though Ranma clung to his shirt for a split second. It was long enough to see the fear of this moment being nothing more than a fleeting feeling in those sapphire eyes of his. As much as he wanted to tell him that it was a bit more than it seemed, there was no use in scaring him off into the night with tales of demons and myths scratching their way into reality. Why deny them both the chance to see happiness before it was all washed away? He smiled at him, grasping his hands again and kissing the back of them lightly.

"Go inside. They're waiting for you."

That was easier said than done. Ranma nodded softly and let their hands slip apart. The moment his hands landed at his sides he was cold, colder than he had ever remember being. Mousse left him standing there with a wink and a fond farewell, disappearing into the night on a left foot. Just what was it between them now, and why couldn't he shake the feeling that there was much more to this than he was willing to think about at the moment? Unable to answer himself, he felt for the doorknob.

"Ranma?!"

"Whoa!"

He hit the floor butt first and glared upward at the last Tendo girl looking down at him from where she stood upright. What the hell was she doing waiting at the door like that?!

"Why did you go and have to do that for?" Ranma asked as he stood up. "You could have waited!"

"I thought I heard you out here!" Akane exclaimed. "What took you?! You said you were going out for the day, not part of the night!"

"What's it to you? Can't I do Something without people wondering where I am?"

Akane was left in his shadow holding Nabiki's camera. He walked strait into the living room where he found a Panda tensely watching a wandering man obviously winning over the master of the dojo. Not even three seconds into watching did Ryoga throw his hands in the air with a cheer.

"Ha! I win!" Ryoga shouted. "That's three games in a row! Ha-ha!"

"No fair! Do over!" Soun wailed. "Come on, please!"

"No way! You owe me room and board for the next three years, and believe me, I plan on sticking around long enough to enjoy it!"

The panda laughed at Soun's misfortune, though he stopped his dancing long enough to pat him on the back. Ryoga laughed at them, until the confusion of a certain boy that had gone missing for the day caught his attention. He crawled over in his direction and sat at the table, noticing his interest in a bunch of photos he had taken out of his pocket. Without the slightest hint of his intentions, he snatched the photos out of his hands and turned away from his reach.

"Hey!! Give that Back!!" Ranma cried reaching for them. "Hey!"

"Whoa...Nabiki is good with the Camera," he chuckled. "Nice ass."

"Hmpf."

"Oh Come on. You know I was only...Whoa!! Didn't really need to see that picture."

"Give me that!!" Ranma snatched the pictures from Ryoga, blushing when he realized that the double to that particular photo was in Mousse's possession. Now that he thought about it, what WAS Mousse going to do with that photo? "...these are Mine," he mumbled. "And mine alone!"

"Whatever. So how did it go?"

"How did what go?"

"Your Day with Mousse. How'd it go?"

Jeez, someone was being nosey about it. So nosey in fact that he moved in closer to hear it all strait from the horse's mouth. Ranma growled lightly and shoved him away. "Look, all we did was goof around, all right?!" he exclaimed. "There, are you happy?!"

"Hardly!"

"What do you want from me?!"

"The fucking truth! Are you going out again or not, and don't lie or else I'll feed you Akane's leftovers!"

"You wouldn't--"

"It's still smoldering in the pot..."

"Next Friday. After school. We're going to see that Space Alien Movie."

"And spend all your time sucking face in the back row," Ryoga teased. "Ooh, Ranma's actually going on a date! How fun..."

Ranma blushed feverishly at that thought and smoothed his fingers through hair. Ryoga couldn't figure out why he became so silent until it hit him like a baseball bat.

"Oh my god..." Ryoga whispered in disbelief. "He kissed you already!?"

"W-We...werent going to but something happened..." Ranma stammered under impossibly redder cheeks. "I-I mean...there was a photo shoot..."

"Photo shoot?!"

"...some girl needed replacement models for her project or something...I don't know! But she needed us to...kiss...and then..."

"And then? What? What happened? Ranma??"

"...I don't know what happened...or what's happening," he admitted quietly. "All I know...is that I want to see him again."

Ryoga watched him silently for a moment. For his sake, he hoped Mousse knew what he was getting into.

* * *


	3. Disasters

Disasters!!

* * *

Part 3:  
Getting Closer

* * *

"Ew," she whispered. "There goes her....ugh...I can't watch anymore."

Burying her head into her boyfriends shoulder she whimpered at the gruesome sounds of murderous console on the wide movie screen. Her boyfriend wrapped his arm around her to reassure her, but she screamed when she saw a tentacle instead of a hand. She looked up to see a gruesome misshapen form of matter open its fangs and bite her head open.

Down in one of the back rows, Ranma and Mousse laughed at her misfortune silently to themselves and laughed a little louder when the alien popped her brain into his mouth. Ranma sighed and leaned against Mousse as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders. Friday seemed like it would never get here, but here it was. Waiting that long was almost agony, and having to see him at least once everyday and act like there was nothing going on was torture. He smiled to himself and buried his head against his shoulder. Some things are worth waiting for.

"This....is gross," Ranma sighed.

"Not as gross as that," Mousse whispered.

"I bet you I'm the only one in here who isn't hiding in her boyfriend's jacket."

"Because you've still got testosterone in your system."

Ranma snorted lightly and sat back a bit. "Yeah...being half girl and all." After a moment of silence between them, he took a chance and rested his head on Mousse's chest, smiling when the Amazon leaned against him in response. "I like it like this...not fighting with you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah...I get to see a side of you I never saw before."

Mousse smirked wildly in the dark as his hands brought Ranma a little closer. "There's a lot more to see than this side of me," he laughed evilly. "Much more..."

"Mousse...."

Just as the tentacles went flailing about to wrap themselves around five different people, Mousse's arms pulled him closer and into his embrace to steal a long kiss from him. What should have been only a second of playfulness quickly escalated into something more before either one of them truly realized it. It took a light yelp from someone in the audience to get them to stop, and the glare of a stray flashlight to get them off of the other. Still, it didn't keep Mousse from stroking the back of his hand, or tickling his palms lightly with his fingers and lips.

"So...can I say you're interested...or that you're mine for the moment?" he asked softly, "or...do you want to stop this?"

"Stop?!"

"Can I take that as a no?"

"Hell yes!"

"Well All right...and it looks like I've snagged the one and only Ranma. A feat worthy of the best I should say. Now...should I mount him on the wall...or on my dick? Decisions...decisions..."

Ranma popped him in the shoulder and got a waist full of fingers digging into his sides. He laughed and squirmed under his amusement, until a shower of popcorn rained down on their parade.

"Hey could you two keep it down?!" A boy exclaimed. "I'm trying to watch the movie!"

"Oh...and flying popcorn is going to shut us up?" Mousse growled. "Well then, I'll just have to show you that nightmares are not something to take lightly!"

All that could be heard for the next several seconds was the screaming of that boy and several others under the heavy hail of crimson lightning. They were screaming out of the theater, leaving only Ranma, Mousse, and the elderly who had seen too much in their lives to be concerned. Mousse sat back down rubbing the base of his horns lightly. Maybe he had gone a bit too far...

"Mmm...it's much quieter now," Ranma sighed as he leaned back against him. "You really showed him."

"You're...not upset?"

"Why should I be?"

Mousse shook his head and kissed him lightly on his cheek. At least, he was planning to. Before he knew it he was sinking into Ranma's chair with not only the usher, but half of the elderly watching them. He could have cared less at the moment.

_I never thought it come this far,_ Mousse mused inwardly. _I wonder how far this will go...Ranma..._

* * *

"Yes!! I got an A!" She cheered running from her class. "Yes Yes Yes!!"

"Mina! Hey!"

Mina stopped in mid-step, tripping into the floor. She held onto her book tightly and checked it over to make sure it wasn't damaged. Quickly she got up and dusted of her fuku, just in time to be face to face with...

"Hey Mina, I see you got an A."

"Huh? Oh Hi Akane."

"So are you coming over to my house to study?" Akane asked.

"Yeah sure. I was headed there anyway."

Akane blinked. "What for?"

"To drop this off." Mina held up the book proudly. "It belongs to someone named Ranma."

"Ranma?! Why?! What's in it?!" Akane reached for the book but Mina pulled it away.

"Nope! For Ranma's eyes only!"

Akane frowned at her misfortune. Not only couldn't she get her hands on the book, she couldn't con Mina out of it either. Mina knew it too and walked away humming to herself.

"Hey! wait up!" Akane called. "Can't I just see?!"

"No! gotta ask Ranma," she sung.

"Oh, fine. Hey wanna get a Milkshake? My treat!"

"I'll take the milkshake but I'm not giving you the book," she laughed.

* * *

What the hell was this? Some kind of bad plot that led into a hot bedroom scene between two guys? Well it might as well have been, he thought smugly as he savored his half of the cherry. As if the movies weren't bad enough, now they were at it again in the ice-cream shop! The intention was to get them to cool themselves off a little, but cherries weren't made for cool moments. At least not this one in his mouth. He pulled away from the set of lips that once held the cherry, licking the juice and creamy remnants of vanilla off of them before he sat back again. That pink tongue flickered out to capture what he had missed and teased him a little more as it cleaned off the back of his fingers.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked him lightly. "Now we both had the cherry."

"I'm all right," he mentioned nonchalantly. "Wish I had another..."

That finger of his dipped itself in the vanilla concoction of cream, milk, and frozen sugar and brought itself upward to his teasing pink lips. Before it could disappear in his mouth, he snatched his finger from him and licked off of the slightly melted dessert himself.

"That tasted good," he smiled. "You got any more?"

"Come and get it," Ranma smirked.

Ranma giggled as Mousse slid over into his side of the booth and kissed him senseless over the dripping remains of a sundae going to waste. They paid no mind to the other patrons, whether they were giggling at their play or trying to figure out just who was who or if they were both women or men. Most of it went ignored, until a certain presence of someone familiar drew Mousse's attention.

"No! I said it was for Ranma!"

_**That girl...**_

Mousse released Ranma from his grasp and looked to the doorway. She was there all right, but there was something she was here to do. What it was became clear when he saw the book in her arms. The photoshoot...

She giggled and raspberries another who frowned and tried in vain to reach for the book again. She danced backward and over to the counter giggling a little more than before.

"Too slow, Akane~~~" she sang lightly. "Besides...why not just ask him?"

"Come on...just one picture. Please, Mina?"

"Nope."

"Well then Just tell me what you took a picture of...please?"

Ranma looked at Mousse. Before Mousse could ask what he was thinking, Ranma was up and waving Mina and Akane over to their table.

"Hey!! Mina!" Ranma called, "Over here!"

"What are you doing?!" Mousse hissed. "Are you nuts?!"

"I want that book before Akane gets her hands on it," Ranma hissed back. "Do you know what she could do?!"

"Hey! Mina! Come over here!" Mousse joined in getting the point immediately. "Mina!"

Mina turned around with Akane to see Ranma and Mousse waving at them. She skipped over there in a hurry with Akane close behind her. Ranma swallowed the lump in his throat and Mousse hid a frown under a smile. Mina sat down eagerly and handed the book over to Ranma before Akane could say anything.

"This is ours right?" Ranma asked.

"Sure! I got an A and I thought it would be fair to give it to you. You guys helped me out after all."

"Heh-heh....it was nothing."

"Nothing? Even My teacher said you guys were cute...."

"Well...if your teacher says so...then he must have taste," Mousse smirked. "Either that or he's a pervert at heart."

"Mousse~~!"

"What? Did I say something?"

Ranma was the one to snort this time, though he couldn't keep a giggle to himself. He took the book with another word of thanks, and opened it to find perfect eight by ten photos of Mousse and he from a week ago.

There was so much one could see within a picture if one looked hard enough. So much to read into, and so much to wonder about when one looked into the eyes captured for a frozen moment of time. It was hard to place what he was thinking about that day, but he knew what Ranma was thinking...then and now. He seemed so unsure of himself, of this feeling that would perhaps wash him away from the shores of his home. Yet with his arms around him, grinning wildly at one point and smiling freely the next, safety wasn't a concern. He felt free enough to let down his guard, to let him get closer rather than pushing him way. He couldn't help but warmly smile upon that memory, kissing him for the first time.

"Wow...." Ranma managed to say. "Um...."

"I remember that," Mousse murmured nudging Ranma softly. "Want a repeat? Only this time...I mount you."

"Mousse!"

"What?"

"What's in it? Can I see?" Akane asked.

"N-No. It's very Personal," Ranma said swallowing the lump in his throat again. "Mousse and I were just leaving anyway."

"Let me guess. To fight over Shampoo again, right?"

"Wrong." He climbed out of the booth and grabbed Mousse's hand helping him out. "I'll see you at home Akane."

Ranma never let go of Mousse's hand and sped out of the Ice cream shop. Mina cocked her head in wonderment. Was their bond that strong already?

"I still say they're a cute couple," she sighed.

"What!?"

* * *

"Sorry...about that...thing with Akane."

"What for? No big deal."

"So everything's cool?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because...I don't want anything messing this up...us up. I know it's only been a week but I really like you....I wanna be with you for as long as I can before..."

Mousse's gaze softened a bit as he placed his hands on Ranma's shoulders. "Shhh. No talking about fiancs when you're with me. It's only you and Me. Us."

Ranma smiled as Mousse closed the distance between them. Why couldn't it be like this everyday?

* * *

"What do you mean cute couple?!" Akane had shouted.

"Huh? Oh, him and Mousse." Mina blinked. "What? You didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"Never mind. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Now what about my sundae?"

Akane sighed heavily, ordering a sundae for Mina. What did she mean by cute couple?! What if...no! Ranma hated Mousse and Mousse hated Ranma. She was sure of it. Yet that sinking feeling began to settle in her stomach.

Mina just looked at her. "Hey Akane!"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe I should come over another time. You don't look too good."

"No-no. I'm fine. Come on, Let's go catch up to Ranma."

* * *

Ranma walked hand in hand with Mousse studying the book with short laughter. They were looking at a picture with them grinning like idiots when a stay photo flew out of the album. Mousse reached out and caught it before it hit the ground, and grinned wickedly at Ranma when he looked over his shoulder. Ranma blushed hotly, shivering from the remembrance of those final moments.

"Hey..." Mousse said softly. "Remember?"

"Yeah..." he whispered. "When did she take this one?"

"When we weren't looking. Looks like I'll save this one as well."

"What?! Why??"

"Because I plan on having a collection of your faces...as they truly are," he said. "The first picture was of you nude, yes, but your face said that you were too relaxed to care about it all. This one," he said eyeing the picture in his hands, "this one is of you and I...but I've never seen you so unsure of yourself. You're hesitant to admit it...but suffering because you can't."

".....admit what??" Ranma questioned uncertainly. "Mousse??"

"Admit....your attraction to me. But...I don't think I have to figure it out now," he smiled. "I'm pretty much aware of it."

"You smug bastard," Ranma chuckled. "What makes you so sure of what you believe?"

"Because...You're lips were quivering...the first time I kissed you."

"....They were?"

"Yeah. I thought your lips were sweet...maybe it was that strawberry lip balm you had on. Or perhaps it was something more," he mentioned moving to close the distance between them once more. That pretty red danced along his cheeks with a tender hand, inhaling the soft scent of a cologne made for him and him alone. There was something else lingering in that scent, something sweet and soft. He couldn't tell if it was his soul that smelt that way, or if it was a scent only a man like he could produce. Either way, it didn't keep him from luring him in by the edges of his shirt and keeping him close under the fading sun.

".....Mousse..."

"You know what I think?"

"Hmm?"

"I think...you're delicious," he breathed. "Good enough to eat everyday...if I could have it everyday."

He took his lips gently with his own. The heat in Ranma's belly spread quickly up his spine and through his hands which glowed slightly with red energy. Mousse could feel the energy he was emitting and let go of his lips as gently as he took them. He hadn't meant to channel that energy into him, but his desires were running wild at the moment. He sighed as Ranma opened his eyes, but had to blink at the tales of fire looming within the irises.

_Whoa...what was that?! _Mousse thought. _There's...something...there...._

The fires he had seen covered themselves again. It wasn't possible for a human to channel his energy so clearly without being very lightheaded in the next moment. However, it seemed as if the only thing making Ranma lightheaded was him. That was strange...and something to think about. 

He leaned back, closing the book with their pictures in it. He could think about it when he didn't have the desire to rip all of his clothing off and just have his way. That meant leaving...which wasn't something he wanted to do at the moment.

"I think you should hold on to this," he sighed. "I have no privacy in that Restaurant."

"I hardly have any at home," he said softly. "But...alright. I'll hide it someplace safe."

"I've got to go now. Cologne will have my head, if I'm not there to finish the chores."

"Oh, Mousse. You shouldn't have to be at their feet...you're better than that."

He knew it, and Ranma believed it, but there was much more to the tale than anyone knew. He shrugged lightly, laughing inwardly at the irony of it all when he thought about what the coming year would bring. "Male Amazons don't have much say in the matter...and I can't defeat them or....you know."

"That marriage law kicks in, I know."

"I'll find some way out."

"I know...I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

Mousse leaned in and kissed him farewell. It was short, sweet, and repeated twice before Mousse finally tore himself away. He ran a short ways down the street before he vanished into the shadows of the trees with Ranma watching him the entire time. Left alone with his fluttering heart, his lightheaded daze, and a book of sweet revelation, he sighed heavily in content.

"I think I'm in love..." he whispered.

"Really!?"

Ranma screamed and turned around with a fist raised. He almost lost it, or rather fell on the ground, when he saw it was only Ryoga. How the hell did he do that?! What was with the popping up out of nowhere routine anyway?!

"Don't scare me like that!" Ranma cried. "God, warn a person!"

"You think you're in love?!" Ryoga asked excitedly grabbing one of Ranma's hands. "Really?! Honestly?!"

Ranma blushed and looked down. "Yeah..."

"Yes!!" Ryoga pumped his fist into the air dancing around Ranma. Ranma blinked. "Why are you so happy?"

"Because it worked! Now hopefully you won't screw this up!"

"It's only been a week though...I don't wanna rush into it..." Ranma said nervously. "No one has ever made me feel this way though...except you...when we were kids...but it wasn't as strong as this..."

"But that was a long time ago bud. Right now, you gotta work on finding a way out!"

"Out of what?"

"Ugh, You are so dense! Come on, we'll talk on the way."

Ranma nodded soundly and led the way to the dojo just as two figures came running up behind him. She slapped him with her book bag as she ran by with her friend.

"OW~ Akane!!!"

"We're late for dinner Ranma!!" Akane shouted. "And It's my turn to cook!!"

"In that case...whoa!!!" Ryoga grabbed his hand and ran strait after Akane. "Come on Ranma."

"Are you insane!? I'll never see Mousse again if you make me eat that!!"

"Exactly."

"What?! I thought you said..."

"We're making dinner tonight!"

"You know how to cook?!"

"I don't get lost without learning something. Come on!"

* * *

"You're what?!"

"That's right, we're gonna cook tonight," Ranma had said folding his arms. "And that's final!"

"Fine!"

That's what Ranma had said almost an hour ago. Now he and Ryoga, an unusual pair, were in the kitchen cooking up a storm.

_I wonder what's going on? _

Akane watched for a bit Ranma went about humming a little song as he worked. It was weird watching him so happy instead of being his nonchalant arrogant self. Something was different about him now. Something, almost like he was in love. But that couldn't be it. Could it? Akane pushed that thought in the back in her head. It couldn't be true. Not if she had anything to do about it. After all, she was his fianc.

It wasn't long until the humming stopped and Ranma and Ryoga came out with platefuls of food with an extra plate for a certain guest. Mina had decided to stay over for dinner despite the fact that she had only come over to study. Yet Ryoga had insisted upon it, which was curious since Ranma and Akane were both sure Ryoga had never met her before that moment. The way those two looked at the other from time to time, and the way the spoke in such familiarity...it was almost as if they were related somehow...

"Wow! It looks good," Mina complimented. "Oh my god, is that what I think it is?!"

Ryoga grinned and nodded. "Help yourself."

"Boy, you're getting more girly by the minute. It shames a father to see his boy fulfilling a wife's duties!" Genma said between mouthfuls.

"Oh sure." Ranma sat down next to Mina huffing lightly at his father. "Then why are you eating it?"

"I'm shamed not stupid!"

"Wow, this is great!" Kasumi said looking at Ranma. "You guys are good!"

"Yeah, maybe we should have you two cook more often," Nabiki added.

Ranma shrugged eating his own meal. Anything to get out of eating Akane's cooking.

"So Ranma, how long have you been going out?" Mina said off handedly.

Ranma choked on his food and spit it out in Genma's face. "What?!"

"You and..." Mina paused looking at Ryoga shaking his head at her. "You and Akane."

"We aren't going out," Akane stated flatly. "He's my stupid pervert fianc."

"Fianc?!"

"By force," Ranma added as he begun to pick at his food. Bringing up that subject always made him lose his appetite. "It's all his fault!"

"All a man wants is for his son to wed and produce an heir!!" Genma cried pulling his routine. "Is that so wrong?"

"Aw, get off of it old man! I ain't marrying her!"

"Why not?!"

"Because...." Ranma leaned on his fist putting down his chopsticks. "I don't want to, okay? Just leave me alone."

"Will you'll consider it at least? You do love her right?" Soun asked hopefully.

"Dad!!" Akane whined.

"I don't want to marry her," Ranma sighed again.

"Ranma...can I talk to you? Alone for a minute?" Mina asked. "Ryoga, can you come too?"

"Sure. Excuse us."

Ranma and Ryoga stood and walked after Mina leaving Akane in the dark. What the hell was going on?

* * *

They walked in silence until they came to Ranma's room. Mina closed the door soundly behind them. "I should have known there would be complications," she muttered. "There always are..."

"Forget about it," Ryoga sighed. "It's not like we can just up and prove it, though I'm sure he's who we believe him to be."

"What are you two talking about??" Ranma asked. "Do you...like....know each other??"

Ryoga and Mina shared a glace at the other. "You could say that," Ryoga answered slowly. "We've crossed paths...a few times."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"Do I look like I have a dick?" Mina snorted. "Let's just say...we're cousins. Okay?"

Ranma plopped down on his bedding with a huff. "Never mind. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I'm sorry about that...what I said before anyhow," she explained. "I thought...that they knew about Mousse, but I can see from the way they're acting that this arranged marriage is something that has been a tough subject in this house."

"What gave it away?" he snorted dryly, "My father, or her father, or both idiots?"

Mina sat down in front of Ranma and grabbed his hands. "Ranma...I can tell you and Akane aren't meant to be....but you and Mousse..."

"He's off the deep end, head over in heels crazy in love with you!" Ryoga blurted out. "There I said it."

"He...he is?" Ranma blushed like a mad man and fell back with hearts for eyes. Ryoga sweat dropped and Mina blinked. "No way! He really loves me?!" Ranma asked excitedly. "Wow!! But isn't it too soon for love?"

"Love at first sight Ranma!" Mina giggled. "You guys were meant to be together!"

"You think so?"

"Sure! It's fate!!"

**_A fate that we can't afford to lose once more..._**

* * *

Outside of the room Akane overheard bits and pieces of the conversation and backed away with tears in her eyes. Ranma loved someone else? No...it couldn't be. She was his fianc!

_But he said he didn't want to marry me..._

Quietly she slipped away into the darkness of the hallway and back downstairs. But who was Ranma in love with?! She scowled thinking it over. Shampoo? Ukyo? Kodachi? No way! Even Ranma wasn't that stupid.

"Then who is it? Ranma you jerk! I'm gonna find out who it is even if it kills me!!"

* * *

Part 4 coming soon!


	4. Winter

Winter

* * *

**_Part 4:_**

** Frostbite **

* * *

**_Winter..._**

Snow. He loved watching it float down to the earth, the way it covered everything in its white blanket, the way it tickled his face when it landed on his nose. No wait. That was Akane! Shaking his head clear, he realized he had been watching Akane dancing around in the snow for the last half hour. He rubbed his nose gently and turned his head away, eyeing something of surprise to him. Beside him lie a white lily with a note attached to it. He picked it up and read it to himself, before blushing brightly and smiling. He slipped the note in his pocket and adored the white Lily gingerly, before a tender hand brushing against his hair caused him to look up. Immediately he stopped smiling and turned his head.

"Are you done playing in the snow?" Ranma sighed. "I wanna go home."

"Why are you here anyway? You dont have to watch me," Akane snapped.

"The only reason Im here is because your dad and my dad made me come. I had other things planned you know."

"Well I wanna see the Nutcracker and we need to wait in line to get tickets."

"We? You mean you. And Im the one sitting here freezing my butt off. Youre playing in the snow..." he sniffled slightly. "I'm the one who wants to go home."

"Maybe if you would have worn something warmer, you wouldnt be freezing."

"You dragged me out here before I could grab my coat!...*sniff*..."

Ranma was about to yell some more but someone from behind wrapped a scarf around his neck gently. He turned around to see Mousse smile at him and put a warm hand on his face before taking his leave. Ranma blushed a bit, until a nosey Akane tapped him on the shoulder with a family set of tickets in her hand. He frowned, buried his hand in his hair and walked away arguing with her.

* * *

**_At home..._**

"Not again! This is the fifth time!!" Ranma whined. "What is going on?"

"Like I said Im a little busy with work and all. I'm really sorry."

"You are always busy...how are you calling me if your so busy?!"

"Took a little side trip. Trust me Ill get in trouble If I get caught."

"Dont get in trouble on my account. Look, talk to me tomorrow if you're not busy."

"Ranma! Don't hang up..."

*Click.*

Ranma sat with the receiver pressed down on the phone for a second then tossed himself on his mat and buried his head in his pillow. This was the fifth time Mousse had canceled on him and he was starting to wonder....

Three of the most heavenly months had passed over them, each day another day to treasure in his heart when he got a chance to spend a moment with Mousse. Some days he'd get only a moment to steal his breath away, and other days he would have him to himself for an hour of more, just doing nothing, saying anything that came to mind. Most of the time their lips were too busy dueling a duel that could never be won by either, yet there were times when he just wanted nothing more than to spend a lazy afternoon someplace with him...

He turned his head to the right and caught a glimpse of the scarf Mousse had wrapped around his neck earlier. He pushed it to the side. He hated it when they fought but he hated it even more when Mousse canceled on him. Mousse never canceled on him without a good enough reason, and work was beginning to be an annoyance. What the hell was so important that Shampoo and Cologne couldn't survive on their own for a moment? It wasn't like they couldn't get along without Mousse as their personal slave. And why the hell would Mousse even think to place himself in that kind of position?! Being an Amazon was one thing, but there were other jobs out there... away from that madness...

What exactly was going on?

"Ranma...werent you supposed to go out tonight?" Akane asked.

"My plans got canceled," Ranma mumbled as the phone rang again. He turned over an ignored it, deciding to just let it ring.

"Arent you going to answer that?"

"No."

"Fine then Ill answer it."

Akane picked up the phone much to Ranma's dismay, and he buried his head in his pillows again. Akane blinked in surprise as to who was calling and handed Ranma the receiver. Ranma grabbed it from her and turned his back.

"Why did you hang up?!"

"Obviously I was mad at you. You canceled on me again!" Ranma said crossly.

"I told you I was sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't cut it! I had something nice planned and now it is ruined because of work."

"You try working for Cologne! She is a slave driver and Im lucky if I can stay awake long enough to even make it there."

Ranma winced remembering that time he had taken on being a waitress. He was trying to learn his chestnut move and getting the phoenix pill so he could be a boy again. He had never ever been so tired in all his life. "I see your point..." he said sympathetically, though he was still slightly peeved.

"Look...just give me one more chance. If I screw up...you decide."

"Fine...how about eight on Saturday by the movie theater?"

"...uh..."

"Bye."

"NO!! Alright fine. Saturday at eight at the movie theater. Look, I am sorry," he sighed, "but things are a bit complicated at the moment and I DO need the money."

"This isn't in the attempts to get me something for Christmas is it? I thought we decided that--"

"PLEASE. I already got your gift, and don't lie to me and tell me that you didn't get mine," he exclaimed before Ranma could deny it. "Believe me...I wouldn't be working this hard if it wasn't important...all right?"

"....all right."

"Do you still love me?"

"Of course I do! Why would you even ask me that?!"

"Because...I don't hear it that often now. I don't get to see you like I used to."

"....Mousse...I hate you so much..."

"I love you too. Akane's there with you isn't she?"

"Yes...and I promise I'll show you how much I hate you when I see you Saturday."

"Looking forward to it."

*Click.*

Ranma hung up the phone tiredly and sighed falling back on his pillow. How the hell did life come to this? He let his head fall backward and looked over at Akane who just stared at him weirdly.

"What?!" Ranma asked.

"What was that all about?" Akane asked. "And what was that Christmas thing about??"

"Nothing...at least, I hope its nothing..."

* * *

**_Saturday..._**

Winter was a bitter season of hidden motive and mystery shrouded in the color white. Nothing of color was to be seen lest it was woven by hand and worn to protect from the chilling winds. Everything was covered in the frozen tears of the skies, chilled to the bone from the winds of the north making their home in theirs for the brief season's passing. He stood in it, waiting with a scarf in hand, and one around his neck. He was bundled up tightly in his jacket, though his excitement and anxiety kept him from noticing his red cheeks or his numbing nose. Waiting in front of the appointed destination, he looked through the crowds of passing people before glancing down at his watch. It was getting close to eight...

"Damn it...where are you??"

The whole point of this date was to ensure that this relationship didn't fail. He hated the fact that he had to push Mousse into it, but the need to see him was almost too much to endure at times. Not being ale to see him when he wanted, not knowing if he was all right or not wasn't sitting well in the least. Before now, he couldn't seem to be rid of him. It was almost annoying how they seemed to bump into each other so many times within a day. Now he wished it was like that again. He never thought he'd want to just see more than his face passing by on the way to run an errand. Hell, he never thought he'd fall for a RIVAL, let alone a MAN. Yet he had, and hard he had fallen.

He had said it was important...whatever it was. Why he was working so hard was still a mystery to him, but he trusted him to let him know if something were really wrong. That was the whole point of trust wasn't it? The only thing he didn't trust was the Chinese Bimbo who didn't seem to know when to quit. She seemed to enjoy making him run these errands, almost as if she were doing it to keep his attention on her...

"What the hell??! Oh man...you're losing it Ranma," he muttered to himself. "Why would SHAMPOO of all people want Mousse's attention? Just get a grip..."

He wasnt far from thinking along another train of thought when a loud "Nihao!" made his skin crawl. Bravely, he turned around to see Shampoo, but she was latched on to Mousse who looked sadly at him.

Ranma knew what that meant. Work.

"Don't even tell me," Ranma said shaking his head and turning his gaze away. "I love the way things like this always pop up."

"Ranma..." Mousse said hoarsely. "I...."

"What Mousse trying say is that, he take me this place for date!" Shampoo squealed. "I so happy!"

"He what?!" Ranma shouted.

Take her here for a date?! Was she screwing with his mind!? Ranma shook his head and tried his best not to growl. "I should have known..." he mumbled.

Mousse shook his head furiously and grabbed Ranma's hands. Ranma glared at him and started to shove him away, but his red cheeks and slight cough kept him from being completely mad.

"...We....are NOT....on a date..." Mousse rasped. "She---"

"Shut up! I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"Tell you...what?!"

"That you were sick..." Ranma murmured as he wrapped him up in his own scarf. Mousse breathed in relief. Ranma sighed softly and buried his head against his warm cheeks. "You could have just told me..."

"Ranma, we go on date now yes?" Shampoo asked.

"How about you take a rain check? Ill get back to you on that."

"Is promise?"

"Uh...sure..."

"Ai ya! Shampoo got date from Ranma!! Shampoo so happy!!"

Shampoo bounced up and down and wasted no time in running home to tell Cologne. Ranma watched her leave with a sweat mark on his brow until Mousse tugged at his pigtail gently. Ranma laughed nervously for a minute until Mousse kissed him on the cheek and led him away.

"Sometimes, I wonder about you Mousse," Ranma sighed as he leaned against him. "Why do you work so hard anyway?"

_For you,_ Mousse thought to himself. _Money is hard to earn, especially around Cologne._

* * *

"Poor Mousse," Kasumi said handing him some Tea. "This should make you feel better."

Mousse smiled in appreciation and sipped the hot tea gratefully. He still had no voice but it was alright. Silence in this house was a good thing. You didn't get pounded for saying something insulting. His ears picked up the familiar sound of running and yelling and he looked up to see Akane chasing Ranma with a Bokken. Ranma skidded into the room and slipped hitting his head on the table. Everyone gasped and stepped back when Ranma rose rubbing his head. Akane was quick to kneel down and punch him and gasped in horror when he started to cry.

"Oh man! He hit that spot on his head again!" she screamed.

"Oh dear. Ill go get the ice," Kasumi said running out into the kitchen.

"Wahhh!!" Ranma cried. "Why did you hit me for?!"

"I'm sorry. Just stop crying!"

"You are so mean!"

"I'm sorry, really sorry!"

"Really?"

"Yes. Just stop crying."

"I...cant believe that worked," Ranma said leaping up to his feet and pulling a face. "You are so gullible."

"Oooh! Ranma!!!"

"Nyah!" he said running away.

"Come back here!" "Akane said running after him.

"Not a Chance!"

_Hmm...he seems to enjoy making Akane mad,_ Mousse thought. _I wonder why?_

That answer was simple really. Over the gentle weeks and first few months he had been here, he could always feel a sense of brotherly compassion between them and it never developed into anything more. Less even. Yes at times it was much less that a mutual friendship, almost hatred and the probably was more on Akane's part than on Ranma's.

Again he sipped his tea, though he felt a bit faint. Evolving wasn't an easy process, and the symptoms always looked as if it were nothing more than a really BAD cold. He was going to have to be careful in the coming days...

He lowered his gaze down to the table when the sudden rush of footsteps caught his attention. He looked up and if he had the power to scream he might have. Akane and Ranma, who was soaked in hot water, turned their attention on Happosai who jumped over his head splashing cold water on his own head. Mousse, ticked and mad as hell, put down his ruined tea and turned to Happosai.

"Mousse...aw...let me get you some hot water," Ranma said coming up behind him.

Mousse ignored him for the moment and narrowed his eyes and the little man running about. He growled deep and his horns sparked with life, unleashing the same deadly energy on Happosai. The oldest pervert screamed as he was shocked and fell to the ground burnt to a crisp.

Mousse smirked softly even if he felt like lead. Somehow the last thing he saw was Ranma's worried face before falling into the dark.

_**SHIT...**_

* * *

It was a while before he regained consciousness. Ranma kept the damp cloth on his forehead, changing it every so often. Mousse shivered a bit letting out a sigh, when he opened his eyes.

"Ranma?"

"Easy Mousse," hushed the braided boy next to him. "You need to rest..."

"I can't....I have to...go to to work." he said trying to get up. A firm hand pushed him back into the bedding and an angry set of eyes looked him over. "Ranma...."

"You aren't going anywhere. You hear me? You are burning up! I'm not about to let you go back into the freezing cold this sick, you got me??"

"But..."

"No buts about it. You are staying right here..."

"I need..."

"Would you forget about your stupid job already!?"

If he could he would. If he could stop the change, he would. But there was no stopping it, and he didn't want Ranma around for something he didn't need to see. He removed to cloth from his brow with a growl and cursed quietly when he noticed the burn marks.

"Damn it!"

"Mousse!! Forget about it!"

"I can't exactly do that! I need money to live...and unlike you, I have to work for place to live!" Mousse spat sitting up angrily. "I'm not arguing with you...I'm going back to work."

"Mousse....what is wrong with you?! Don't you see you'll just get worse!?"

"I don't care..." he said getting to his feet. He was in no better shape than before. His face was flushed with red and he had circles under his eyes, but more present was his stubborn attitude. Ranma couldn't figure him out and he really didn't want to at this point. Mousse was out the window before he could say anything else and he was left calling after him.

"Mousse!....Mousse!"

But Mousse was gone. Ranma sank to his knees. Was it all over that fast? He didn't know when the first tear had fallen but he knew it would be a long time before the last would fall. He curled up into a human ball and stayed in the room for the rest of the night.

* * *

Mousse slept soundly under the sheets, with a damp cloth atop his forehead yet again. His fever had gone down but he was still tired. Slipping over to him, she watched Mousse with suspicious eyes, ones that had been watching him for the longest time, ever since that day he'd come back with his renewed eyesight and a new heritage to accompany it.

Cologne walked over to him and spied the gift that lay aside him with curious eyes. She knew something odd was going on because Mousse had been working harder than usual this month and not once did he even pine over Shampoo. Ever so gently, she put her hand to Mousse's head and rested it there until her hand was set ablaze with fire that did not burn. She pulled her hand back.

"I don't believe it..." she cried softly. "Mousse you idiot...you should have said something! Now look at you."

"Shampoo...wouldn't understand," Mousse said weakly. "No one would.."

"What? Mousse? Don't talk...save your strength. You're going to need it."

"No...listen to me...Cologne. Shampoo wouldn't understand about this..."

"Why not? It's just evolution..."

"And her sworn duty is to protect what belongs...to me. She would kill me...and then Ranma. Demons...aren't her best friend."

".....what are you saying?? Is there someone else?? Someone you've been seeing??"

Mousse managed to open his eyes, revealing the red that was slowly replacing the gentle turquoise. "Yes..." he breathed. "I do...love another..."

"Mousse! You know you're engaged to the one fated for you! What the hell are you doing messing around with a human for a lover?!"

"....I love him. I love him...more...than anything."

"Who the hell could you love this much that you'd risk being seen at this point?!"

He had to laugh bitterly as he closed his eyes again. He'd die laughing if he were to see her face. "Its Ranma..." he sighed. "It was always Ranma...I just didn't know."

"WHAT?!"

"Not so loud."

"Sorry. Look, Mousse, Shampoo is not going to be happy. She'll definitely try to kill you for this. Here...take this," Cologne said offering him a small vile. "it'll will help you to recover."

Mousse knocked it away with all the strength and hissed in objection. "No! I don't want it," he growled angrily. "Shampoo is never happy. Do me a favor...and keep quiet till I'm better. That's the least you owe me...and all I ask."

"I will grant it to you. Now rest...you need to grow strong again."

"Just know that....I truly love him....and I didn't mean to hurt Shampoo. He's...mine however...and it's going to stay that way."

Mousse fell back asleep under his own words and rested his body under Colognes gaze. Cologne lowered her head and shook it before she hopped back over to the door. She knew Mousse was in love and now she knew with whom. Now all that was left to do, was to keep Shampoo from killing him...

At least until he was better. Then he could defend himself.

* * *

"What!?"

Ranma just kept his face buried in his hands. He couldn't even touch his breakfast. They gone out to eat, Ryoga, Mina, and himself because Kasumi had come down with a slight cold. With the left over money Ranma had from working odd jobs here and there, he'd managed to treat them, but now their food would go half uneaten.

"You can't be serious!" Ryoga cried dropping his rice. "After three months you just up and quit?!"

"I didn't do it..." Ranma sighed. "Mousse was sick...and he wanted to go back to work. I told him to forget that stupid job of his....and then we had this huge fight! I think it's over."

"Just because you had a fight doesn't mean it's all over," Mina said. "Lot's of couples have fights."

"....they do?"

"Sure! You're new to this **_having a relationship _**thing," Ryoga chirped. "It was just a fight. Unless he says it's over to your face or you want out, there's still a thing going on."

Mina took a bite out of her roll and nodded in agreement. "Ryoga's right. I mean it's not the end of the world. Being in love means taking the ups and downs. This is just a down."

Ranma sighed placing his head in his arms. Maybe they were right. Mousse hadn't said he wanted to end things, but he was rather upset. He didn't know what to do now, but had to apologize somehow. Maybe today in fact. But how was he going to work up the nerve to face him?

"Earth to Ranma!" Ryoga called. "Hey! are you coming or not?"

"Huh? Coming where?"

"In your pants. *tch* come on. We're going to the Nekohanten. I hate it when you're miserable."

* * *

Mousse sat in the chair and yawned from all the exhausting work he had been doing. He had been on his feet most of the day and carrying those heavy loads back and forth in the snow was not easy. His back hurt, his hands were swollen, and he had a headache the size of Japan. He needed to get some sleep and get off his feet before he over did it. Ranma had warned him about it, but he hadn't quite earned the amount he needed yet. Today's wages however placed him well above the zone he was aiming for so it was finally all right to actually forget his stupid job for a moment.

Like Ranma had wanted him to.

Ranma. He couldn't help but groan at the thought of him. He hadn't meant to snap at Ranma or get into that huge fight with him. He only wanted to get him something extra, but to do that, he needed the money. And as he had said before, working for Cologne was tedious work for a cheap pay. Aside that little issue, with the changes he was undergoing, he wasn't sure if Ranma could handle seeing something like that hinder him so badly. It was almost over, but the worst of it was always at the end.

Putting his head down on the table, he groaned miserably as Shampoo came over and put down another task for him to do. He was near the brink of the final change and buried his face in his hands to hide his eyes.

"Shampoo. I cant do this anymore...I'm exhausted," Mousse sighed. "I need to rest."

"Is what get for being so lazy," Shampoo exclaimed. "Is good exercise."

"I cant...I really cant...please..."

"Come on Mousse. Is job. You need work to earn keep."

Mousse sniffed quietly. It wasn't fair to be treated like trash because he was a male. It just wasn't fair! He got to his feet unsteadily, regaining his balance when he gripped the table. He could feel the fire in his cheeks and in his hands, suffocating him. He thought he was going to die on his feet.

"That's enough Shampoo," Someone exclaimed walking into the restaurant. "He needs rest!"

"Mousse!"

Mousse managed to look over to the doorway to see Ranma staring at him in horror. He couldn't stand up anymore and fell on his knees, barely managing to stay up on his hands alone.

"Damn it, not now..." he breathed to himself. "Oh god..."

Ranma ran over to where Mousse sat and wiped the sweat away from his brow with the back of his chilled hands. The cold was a welcome comfort and he leaned into it. Ranma wrapped his arms around him cursing Shampoo for driving Mousse so hard. He would have knocked Mousse in the head for that matter as well, if not for the fact Mousse had collapsed against him.

"Mousse..."

"Ranma....please forgive...me."

"He's burning up!" Ranma cried. "Someone call a doctor!"

"Ranma..."

"Mousse....please. You need to rest now."

"There's no need to worry," Cologne said hopping over to them on the cane she always carried. "I have something to help cure that nasty virus of his."

Ranma didn't trust her one bit, but at this point he couldn't think of anything else to do. Mousse lifted his head off of Ranma's shoulders, turned himself around to stare at the eldest of his clan sporting a potion bottle he'd been avoiding. He shook his head trying to inch away from her but she caught his chin and down went the potion.

He grabbed his throat coughing as the burn traveled from his throat and down his esophagus into the pit of his stomach. Before he knew it, he was on fire, screaming from the inside out as he was literally forced to reveal a little more than just his horns. Those grew a bit longer and the red glow of his energies was set ablaze. He ripped himself from Ranma's hands and rolled over, revealing a tail for a brief second. He opened his mouth to scream again, inadvertently revealing fangs of a demonic nature and the true color of his eyes. Gold Irises glared at the little old woman before him, who stood smugly on her staff awaiting him to become aware of his new power.

Oh he was aware of it...and he was aware of something else hidden within the one person whom knew NOTHING about this.

"SHIT!!"

"Mousse?! Mousse!!"

Mousse calmed down long enough to allow Ranma to pull him off of the floor and into his embrace. That was strange, seeing that he should have screamed from being burned, literally. However the case, he seemed to be resistant to it and even stranger was the sight of his hands channeling that energy to become his own. He said nothing of it, but those eyes of his were questioning it inside of the concern he held for his well being. Mousse gave him a small smile of reassurance. He'd be all right.

"I hate that stuff..." Mousse sighed softly. "I told you....I would get better on my...own!"

"Yeah right," Ranma snorted. "Just a minute ago you were burning up! Why didn't you take it before?"

"Because he never liked medicine," Cologne answered. "Besides he was working too hard to listen to reason. He must really like this person to buy them---"

"Shut up you old ghoul!" Mousse hissed. "Stop causing trouble!"

"Buy what?" Ranma leaned in closer to Mousse. "What do you mean?! Something for Shampoo?!"

"Heh-heh...Ranma, I wasn't buying her anything. Honest!"

"Why not!? Shampoo not good enough for stupid Mousse?" Shampoo cried.

"No that's not what I meant!"

"Oh really?" Ranma huffed crossing his arms.

"Ranma...."

"Just....shut up." He said it with a secret smile telling Mousse he wasn't angry anymore. Mousse grinned out of relief and promptly fainted in Ranma's arms. Ranma knew it was probably a side effect and just held him, ignoring the looks he got from Shampoo and Cologne.

* * *

Akane walked down the corridor, broom in hand and exhaust settled on her features. She had just finished cleaning out the rooms on the second floor of the house, and she needed a long awaited break. She headed for the staircase and planned to go downstairs, when she heard muffled voices coming from Ranma's room.

She sighed. He was confusing most of the time. Just the other day he'd brought Mousse over and now he'd let Mousse stay over until he was recovered. Why on earth would he want the very same rival that had wanted to kill him over that Chinese bimbo Shampoo, stay in the same house, let alone the same room? She knew Ryoga had come over and he wasn't really a concern. But Mina? It seemed like she had become fast friends with Ranma.

Speaking of which, she watched as he came up the stairs carrying some soup that Kasumi had made for Mousse. He walked past without so much as a hello or a glance, which was highly unusual for him.

What was going on?

* * *

Ryoga tumbled off the bed with Mina landing atop on him and beating him to death with a pillow. Mousse laughed at their horseplay even as they got up and began chasing each other around the room. Ryoga ducked on the side of the bed pretending to cower before Mina's playful wrath which ended as soon as Ranma came into the room.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Mousse laughed quietly. "Ryoga just insulted Mina's pride and got a face full of pillow..."

"Is that so?"

"No!" Ryoga cried. "She started it!"

"I did not!"

"Did so!"

"Let's not start this again," Mousse laughed. He stopped when Ranma placed the tray on the side table and sat next to him on the bed. Something was bothering his pig tailed love and being sick wasn't going to keep him from finding out.

"Ranma?"

"Can I ask you a question Mousse?"

Mousse sat up a bit. "Sure. Ask away."

"Why were you working so hard for extra pay? You made yourself sicker than you had to be...and you really scared me."

"I'm sorry...I just wanted to buy you this."

Ranma turned and came face to face with what Mousse had worked so hard to buy. A ring made of white gold, just as plain as day. It was such a simple gift but beautiful nonetheless. Without waiting for him to consent, he snatched Ranma's left hand and placed it on is ring finger. A perfect fit, if he were to say so himself.

"Mousse..."

"It's a temporary engagement ring," he said taking Ranma's hands into his own. "It's not the one I wanted to get you, but--"

"....Mousse...are you...saying that..."

"What? That I want to spend the rest of my days with you? Um...something like that?"

"Mousse!!"

"Wha?! Damn it Ranma, don't make me say it in front of the pig-boy!"

Ranma toyed with the idea of smacking him upside his head, but he settled for hugging the air out of him instead. Ryoga didn't have a problem with hitting him however. He waited until Mousse had let go of Ranma to punch Mousse in the arm for that comment.

"Pig-boy my ass..." he grumbled.

He laughed gently pulling Ranma down to lay with him. Ryoga and Mina grinned at each other. This was working out just as they'd hoped.

No one realized Akane had been at the door, listening in. She hadn't heard much since everything was so muffled, but she knew now that Ranma was in love. But with who??

_"Ranma...what's going on?"_

* * *


	5. Summer Fun

Summer Fun

* * *

**_Part 5:_**

The heat is on

* * *

Vacation. A sweeter word couldn't have been said at that moment. He relished the meaning behind it, and thrived on knowing that it was indeed a real vacation, and not some fucked up notion that involved gods and strange stuff happening. A real honest to god vacation, and he was going to enjoy every last minute of it.

The distant cheers of running adolescence were of those who managed to live through the mayhem that was Furikan high. He'd only been there since he was sixteen, but the days felt like years of trial and much divulged error with unnecessary consequence. The characters that had come to and out of that place could make a guy like Tolkien blink furiously. He'd managed to survive it somehow, with decent grades as well. Considering half of the nonsense that had gone on this year alone, he was rather surprised. Either way, getting past the moment of graduation had invoked one of the proud parents to declare a holiday. A Holiday in celebration of his and Akane's achievements. That might have been nice, had the undertone of their being alone not made him violently ill. Thankfully his father piped in about coming along...and now **everyone** was coming.

The tire swing he sat upon swung aimlessly back and forth; the scent of summer well in the air and playing through his hair. Things had changed over the last few months, things he'd noticed and things he hadn't. His braid was one of those things he hadn't paid much mind to, save to wash his own hair and braid it back. It thumped against his back in a rather lazy manner, as lazy as he felt at the moment. It was nice feeling this way. Not running around...or away...or fighting....he could get very used to this type of quiet. It had been a long time since he could think this freely without someone calling for him.

"Ranma~~~"

And just as easily that silence was broken. He nearly groaned in exasperation, though thought better of it when he spied the source of it.

Winter, Spring, and now within the guiles of summer, his smiles were mainly because of this man. This man whom had grown from a lean whiny brat into an elegant handsome specimen that admired him. Loved him. Love wasn't a possibility in his life, and for it to show up like it did and hit him so abruptly, he was more than happy to welcome it in the midst of this chaos. It was perhaps the only reason he could call himself sane now.

"Ranma...."

He slipped from the swinging tire with ease and made his way into the tight embrace waiting for him. "Mousse..."

Mousse didn't hesitate to steal his breath away and drink from the warmth of the one in his arms. He was unmarked and therefore fair game to those whom didn't know better than to watch their own fool heads. Those deemed so quickly found him at their throats, promising a glimpse of Hades if they thought to even think along those lines. They either backed off, or died then and there. Those whom didn't know of his status weren't quite as vulnerable to his methods. A glare warded some off, but mortals were just that. Mortals...with very limited sight. The demonic part of his nature would have claimed him here and now, damn morals and etiquette alike. Yet the more sensible part that shoved that other part of him in the head quickly told him kissing was as close as he was going to get to claiming him.

That delectable pink tongue of his drew out everything he felt for him under the moonlight. He kissed him until he was ridden for air, and even then he didn't let him go. Quick kisses lingered before a long kiss that made Ranma's spine melt in Mousse's hands. Air parted them once again, but Mousse found another way to steal his breath away. He kept his lips on the pulse line of his neck, biting gently as he pressed their bodies together. Ranma let him do as he please, moaning into the night when Mousse marked him on an exposed shoulder.

"Mmm....god I missed you," he breathed straitening himself out. "Don't let me out of your sight, okay?"

"I missed you, too."

Ranma grinned as Mousse kissed him again. He laughed a little when Mousse broke the kiss and growled playfully, and the chase was on. Ranma broke away from him and ran away but Mousse was right on his tail. He didn't get far when Mousse caught up to him, but he slipped out of reach jumping backwards and landing behind Mousse. Mousse straitened out tossing back his long hair and turned around to face Ranma but Ranma wasn't in sight. He stepped forward looking around for him, then laughed when he was pounced on from behind by two loving arms.

He turned his head to see Ranma smiling at him, then he turned around and locked his arms around Ranma's waist so he couldn't get away. Ranma blushed a bit wrapping his arms around Mousse, and closed his eyes as they fell to their knees on the sweet moonlit grass. The tree's leaves rustled and swayed softly in the summer air as Ranma snuggled into Mousse's embrace beneath the starry sky. They sat on looking up, watching as the night passed them by.

"I love you Mousse..."

"I love you too Ranma..." Mousse breathed in his ear. "With all of my heart."

* * *

**_Later that night..._**

White heat took hold of her spine for the second time that night. She hadn't quite grasped the fact that the truth was a lot harder to accept than the assumptions, but then again, she was hard headed. He hadn't taken the entrance exams...nor thought about it. Didn't WANT to take the exams.

Then what the hell was he planning on doing anyhow?!

Neatly slamming her suitcase shut for the third time that night, she went over the events in her head once more. After graduation, her father had readily announced the holiday she was currently prepping for. That said, she knew what was expected and was glad that the old pervert had weaseled himself and everyone else into going. While everyone was busy talking about what they were going to do on the trip, her sister had inquired about their entrance exam scores. Knowing Nabiki well by now, there was a hidden motive under the curiosity. She relayed her scores and waited for him to do the same.

He didn't. Nabiki managed to collect a lot of money tonight.

Most people would expect that to be the icing on the cake. Not her. He promptly announced that he wasn't going to college now and would be taking a year off for himself. No one had argued with him. **No one.** She'd bitten her lip and said nothing, though had she, she might have spat the blood she drew from angrily gnawing at her bottom lip. What excuse could he have for not wanting to go to school?! If he was planning on running the dojo properly, he had to get a move on. There wasn't room to laze about now!

She grumbled and opened her suitcase one more time. Three books were tossed in there amongst the clothing alongside a textbook. Someone had to study in order to know what they were doing.

Where was he anyhow?

"Please tell me you're not seriously bringing that book," he muttered from the doorway. She straitened and scowled at the frown he was sporting in relation to the textbook glaring holes at him. "We're on HOLIDAY."

"Oh, stuff it, Ranma. One of us has to study while the other goofs off..."

"Oh, and what's **that** supposed to mean?!"

"What it sounds like!" she snapped. "I can't believe you didn't take the exams! What, are you going to waste the whole summer away doing nothing?! Oh wait, not doing nothing...HIDING something."

Ranma said nothing in denial of her outburst. She stepped in and pressed further, unable to keep her curiosity from mingling with her anger over not knowing. What was the motive behind his elusive nature now? Where...who was he seeing so?!

"Not that it's any of your business, but I deserve a little time to myself," Ranma sniped right back. "All this shit that goes on in this place would make a drunkard swear off the bottle and faith in order to live five minutes without the crazy shit!"

"You could have said something!"

"You could have asked...not that you do. You don't care what I do, so why start now?!"

"I don't keep secrets from you..."

"Bullshit! Everyone has something to hide in here! If they didn't, then everyone would be a freak!"

"....so, you want to tell me what you're hiding?"

"It's none of your business."

"It is my business when you start messing with my future!"

"I didn't ask--"

"Like hell you didn't! You jerk! You never think about anyone else but yourself!"

One step closer would have placed her in his space, a place he didn't want her nor needed her to be in. "Whoa, whoa!! Hold the phone!" someone screamed, thankfully standing between them and preventing another clash neither of them wanted, nor needed. "Everyone chill the fuck out!"

She blinked, not used to the foul mouth that screamed at her. He'd never spoken in that manner to anyone, least of all her. Was something really wrong? "Ryoga...is something going on I need to know about?" she questioned. Usually asking him resulted in his babbling reassurance or him accidentally telling her in his quest not to be bashful. Imagine her unsettling shock to see the stoic nature of solemnity grace her curiosity and deny her what she wanted with a shake of his head. "Ryoga!"

"It's not my place to say," he said none too gently. "Nor is it anyone's business but Ranma's. Leave it alone. He'll tell you when he's ready to tell you and not before."

"Ryoga...are you a part of it?"

"I'm the reason behind it. So why don't you stop asking and get with the program? We're **not** _telling_."

"Damn it, Ranma!! All you do is sneak around, disappear, and when you are around you're daydreaming or something...like you're lovesick," she muttered silently hoping that wasn't the case. She'd heard bits and pieces, but they didn't help her find anything in relation to what she assumed. He didn't help clear her doubts with his silence, or his silent turn of his head away from her gaze. "Ramna..."

"My business is my own....and when we decide to tell you, we will. Until then, mind **your** business."

"....We?!" He wasn't...not with one of the others. **_PLEASE not Shampoo..._**

"Forget it. I'm going."

"Fine! Be that way you selfish prick! I can't believe anyone would see anything in you besides an immature little boy!"

"HEY, immature little boys **don't** save pig-headed girls!" Ryoga spat. "They also don't protect them from themselves or drive themselves past the breaking point to prove what they didn't have to! All for the sake of saving face he wasn't given from the start!"

He didn't wait to see the look on her face. He spun around and took Ranma with him, unwilling to hear her even if she had the voice to speak. She dropped the book that was in hand back in the suitcase and plopped down aside it.

_"Wow!! But isn't it too soon for love?"_

_"Love at first sight Ranma! You guys were meant to be together!"_

_"You think so?"_

_"Sure! It's fate!!"_

Those words were few amongst the many that flew to mind when she thought about him and their supposed engagement. Yet the daydreaming, the sneaking out, the lost looks of misery no one seemed to notice aside her was NOT about or for her. They were meant for someone else, and that someone else was on this trip. But who??

"He can't be in love with me," she murmured on the verge of tears. "It has to be someone else...but what if it is me? Ranma why can't you ever give me a strait answer?"

* * *

"How long as that been going the hell on?!"

Ranma shook his head and plopped down on his own bedding. His suitcase was packed and closed for the upcoming vacation he'd already started out on a bad note. Avoiding Akane in one of her curious moods was like trying to say the plague didn't happen. He groaned quietly and placed his head in his hands. Ryoga sat across him, cross for his own reasons. His muttering was the only thing to keep the silence at bay.

"Is she really that daft?!"

"I...don't know....AH!"

Ryoga growled deeply and set his arm back down. Ranma said nothing, though the cradling of his wrist was a tell-tale sign of what happened. "She's been doing it again, hasn't she," he said more than asked of him. "I told you--"

"She doesn't even know she does it...no one does. Please don't tell him...I don't need another fight...."

"If he doesn't notice it, he's a bigger idiot that you."

"I am NOT an idiot, fool," a voice said from nearby. "Now someone tell me what the hell all the yelling was about."

He'd mentioned that he'd drop by later, but he wasn't quite expecting him to show up fifteen minutes after he'd gone home. He sighed, wincing once more when his right wrist was pulled from his body and examined by loving angry eyes. It'd only happened this afternoon and it would fade like the others. Handprints were nothing knew to him, especially when he was grabbed forcefully over the table and demanded of an explanation that should have been obvious. It always rounded out to the same equation with the impossible answer. There wasn't any logic to support anything he was subject to these days.

"Love....don't cry...."

Crying? He hadn't quite noticed that he was. "Damn it.....DAMN IT!!"

"Ranma...."

"Shit, why do I have to compromise?! Why can't I just do things and not be questioned about it?!" He snatched his wrist and himself from them, getting up to pace to the open window bearing the sight of the outside world. Freedom. He would have given almost anything to be just that, instead of here, locked up by a love he couldn't express and bound by promises he didn't make. He cursed again, slamming his right hand into the wall. "I can't....I DON'T....SHIT!!"

His hand was snatched from the new crack in the wall and cradled alongside his broken body slumping into the inexplicable warmth that was Mousse. He willingly buried himself into it, too tired to do much else aside sob. Even if it was seemingly impossible, at least someone thought of him as something else aside a walking trouble magnet.

"Don't leave me.... Don't stop loving me....please...."

"Ranma, I would never---"

"I'm not...a selfish...I'm not...."

Mousse quietly and effectively shushed him, unable to bear the thought of what was planted in his beloved's mind. "Ryoga, what happened?! What the hell did she say?!" he snapped holding Ranma tighter to him. "I'm gone for a few minutes--!"

Ryoga snorted, no longer amused by the situation they were in. This was getting way out of hand. "Hey, she's the one that called him a selfish prick."

"......**WHAT?!**"

"I know...the prick part I could understand....but the selfish part? Now that was going too far."

Mousse's growl was stopped short by the unexpected laughter of Ranma bubbling from the crook of his neck. He neatly flipped him off, absently drying his eyes of the few tears that remained. Mousse gently kissed the top of his head grateful for that much. He rued the day Ranma would be so far gone that he couldn't see the humor in anything anymore. He didn't think he'd willingly live that long knowing he couldn't fix it...

"She's pressing him to go to college," Ryoga explained. "That, and she's trying to figure out what's going on."

"She thinks...I'm a jerk," Ranma sighed softly. "A selfish prick..."

"Ranma..."

"I can't help it..." Ranma cried. "I love him so much it hurts...and I won't tell them! They'll just make me marry her..."

"So...what are you going to do?" Ryoga asked.

"I'm not saying a word. If it means that I have to be unhappy, to make them happy, it's not worth telling. Let them figure it out."

Hopefully they wouldn't. Ryoga was set to leave it at that much and turned to walk out the room in search of something to drink. "You want anything from the kitchen?"

"Just some aspirin. I've got a splitting headache."

"I'll go with you." Mousse said softly. "We've got to talk anyway. Are you going to be all right...Ranma?"

"I'm going to lay down...I'll be okay...promise."

He left him with a chaste kiss, sweeter than anything he'd ever known and would dare to know. His love and more flowed through that simple gesture and it left him warm as he lay himself down upon his bedding. He drew his pillow to him and closed his eyes, ignoring the soft footsteps and the gentle sliding of the door to his room. His mind shut itself off then, not wanting to bother with anything else or anyone else tonight.

"He can't be asleep already..." she murmured. "...that's strange."

"You standing outside of his room is **strange**."

She nearly jumped out of her own skin. His voice was so different now, it was hard not to confuse him with someone else. Either way, it was the same guy before her, glaring holes into her skull as she eyed him skeptically. What the hell was he doing here anyhow?

"Mousse...what--"

"I came here to give Ranma something...but I suppose I'll just leave it on his pillow."

She moved in time with him, effectively blocking him much to her unknown misfortune. The sneer playing at his lips was the only clue she was going to get in the coming seconds. She didn't notice, or didn't care. "Yeah right! Don't even try that crap with me!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Whatever you're trying to pull isn't going to work! So just leave!"

"So because the abusive one is jealous and curious, someone who isn't can't give Ranma a gift...huh. So that's how you want to play it? Fine."

"I'm not the one pretending to be his friend to get to Shampoo! You can't fool me! You've got some nerve--"

"Shampoo is not a part of this, nor will she ever be. Move!"

"No! I know you know what the hell is going on with Ranma...for all I know, it's your fault! What is going on?!"

Clever, clever little child but not clever enough. Playing at both angles was a demon's way of haggling for a soul owed and own. Twisting tactics and tongues was a gift he'd mastered long ago and planned never to use unless there was no other choice. She might have made his father proud though. If she lived long enough.

"If you know---"

"Then what? It won't change a damned thing and you know it."

"What is your problem?!"

"What's yours?!" he all but roared at her. His fangs were quick to emerge, startling the girl into stepping back from him. He moved forward, tempted to show her just what the hell a devil could look like, but he restrained himself. "If you know what the hell is good for you, you had better stop belittling him and leave him be!"

"I do not! He's the one who calls me a tomboy and uncute, and makes fun of me all the time!! What would you know about it you don't live here!!"

"Just because I don't live here doesn't mean I don't know what's going on! How...damn, how many times have you accused him of things he's innocent of?! How many times have you given him a black eye because he grabs you by accident?! And how many times have you kicked him into oblivion because he argued with you? Personally, It's making me...**_VERY_**...**ANGRY**."

"Who the hell are you to get angry?! Get out!! Go back to your Shampoo or something and don't bother showing up tomorrow!! You'd better stay away from Ranma because I know you're up to something!! AAH!!"

She ducked under the bright crimson lightning coming from his horns and trembled under the golden glare directed at her. He didn't stare at her long, but left her wondering about what he meant. Just what the hell was that?!

He turned on his heel to leave before he torched the girl. There was no use in killing an innocent. Just as he was about to disappear, Ryoga came back holding a bottle of aspirin in his hand. He said nothing and slipped something into his hands as he left for parts unknown. Ryoga looked into his hand and blinked at the object.

"Are you absolutely SURE about this??!"

"Hai. I've no doubt."

"Oh, Mousse..." Ryoga sighed, "He'll love it...I know he will..."

"I know..." Mousse whispered. "I'll see you in a week's time."

Mousse walked off, head held high and ignorant of the child sitting there with singe marks over her head. Ryoga noted this and grumbled lightly. He'd washed his hands of her and would not tolerate anything more from her rashness. That meant he was stuck on clean up duty, including making sure she didn't get herself killed in the coming months. Hers was a death they couldn't have, no matter what she did or said. In the meantime, Mousse was out of sight and out of mind for a week's time, not to be seen by anyone's eyes. Not even Ranma's.

Just thinking about his reaction made him hiss when she moved to stand.

"For the love of whoever the hell you choose to place your unethical faith in, LEAVE RANMA ALONE!! Got it?!"

"Wha--"

"What part of that didn't you get you idiot mortal?! Messing with him and the order will get you killed, and I'm not playing babysitter! Now back off! This is bigger than you and he. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

A mortal?! What was he implying?! She couldn't understand why Ryoga was so mad at her as he shut the door behind him, not bothering to say anything more.

"Ryoga! What did you mean?" Akane called. "Ryoga!"

"Goodnight Akane!" Ryoga called.

"Ryoga!"

Ranma waking up from the sudden disturbance, sat up strait to see Ryoga plop down on one of the spare beds in the room, ready to go to sleep. Rubbing his stinging eyes of sleep, he opened them to see clearly and widened his eyes in fear when he didn't see Mousse. Ryoga grabbed Ranma's hand and handed him the object Mousse had given him. Ranma, unsure of what to make of this, shook his head in misunderstanding.

"He said to give it to you."

"Huh?? Where....where's Mousse?!"

"Don't know. Won't see him for a week."

"What?!...where is he?"

"I don't **know**. Look, it was either leave or kill Akane. Mousse isn't happy...and she told him not to come with us anyhow."

"She can't do that!! He's my guest!"

"He already agreed..."

It was as if a tire had deflated and tore apart from the rim it was sealed to once. He crumpled unto the floor mat, shoulders stiff and shivering with the effort not to scream aloud. His hand screamed in his place, bleeding upon the white that cradled him as best it could under the circumstances. It was a little too much to take, and it left him boneless. Ryoga took that moment to unclench the hand that held the gift Mousse had meant to give him. Frustrated or not, the prince would not be pleased to see his beloved harming himself from his own misery. It was a cycle that never seemed to end, lest someone intervene and place a halt on anything looking to upset this balance.

He vowed quietly in the darkness bathed by a crescent moon that this would be the end of it. Even if the girl did love him, she would not harm him again.

* * *

**_The next Morning... _**

"My hand...stings."

"You were holding that thing so hard, you put holes in your hand...."

"Yeah well...I'm better now."

"Really?"

"No."

Ranma sighed quietly as he hopped unto the deck of the small cruiser that would take them to where they were supposed to stay. It was some kind of remote beach that belonged to the Kuno family, which already had him worried. Nabiki didn't seem to mind it. Apparently the Kuno family rented out property upon that location for the summer. With the dirt she had on him and his sister, getting a decent price was probably the only reason they were even given a holiday. Cheap was the name of the game they played too often not to know the rules about. A good deal is a good deal despite what's given....something his father might have said.

He ignored the nonsense behind him and slipped the trinket into the beginnings of his shirt. The fresh cool breeze of a salt flavored morning didn't chill him as much as he thought. Ryoga stayed by him and allowed himself to become a post for him to lean on. He could understand the situation, but didn't understand why Ranma wouldn't just let him **_handle_** it.

"Just one time...just **one**," he muttered looking at nothing in particular. Ranma was highly aware of what he meant though and said nothing. Everybody needed a chance...even the incredibly annoying. "No promises."

From a distance, Akane observed the interaction between the rivals. Last nights events bugged her more than they disturbed her. Since when did Ryoga take up for Ranma's behalf anyhow? In all the time she'd been with them, Ryoga never even implied to **like** the pig-tailed martial artist let alone stood up for anything he did. They were always at each other's throats, and usually it was because of her. Yet the defeated slump of Ranma leaning against the ship's bow made her wince in shame. She hadn't thought he'd take it this hard...

"Nihao! Shampoo here...Airen!!"

"I wouldn't bother him," she murmured. "He's upset...."

"And why would he be upset?"

Ukyo came from around the bend stopping short of a curious Shampoo. Behind them was Cologne, the old fart Happosai, and Genma in his Panda form, but no one else. Everyone who was going was on the ship...and everyone who wasn't coming wasn't. She grimaced again, her gut clenching uncontrollably at the thought of last night.

"Hey, isn't Mousse coming, too?" Ukyo asked. "Where is he?"

"Huh? He said he not come with us," Shampoo answered. "He looked very angry."

"You'd think Ranma would be happy...then again, they seem like good friends now. Maybe that's why he's upset?"

Akane shook her head, unable to hold it in for long. "I...Mousse and I fought...and I told him not to come," she murmured. "I didn't think he'd listen to me."

"Huh...well you sure as hell were busy. Anything else you want to tell us?"

"Akane, you no should have mad Mousse angry like that," Shampoo warned. "Bad idea! Very Bad! He not one to take things light, okay?"

Once again she found herself blinking owlishly. Shampoo was taking up for Mousse?! _**'Unreal!'**_

There moment of silence was disturbed by Ranma's sudden departure unto the dock. He ran strait for the crate of boxes sitting idly under the careless morning sun, mindless of those who called back to him. Ryoga was not one of them, sighing heavily when he glared back at the girls running to the bow in the attempts of getting him to turn around. Like hell that was going to happen.

"Ranma!! What are you doing?!" Akane cried. "Get back on the Boat!!"

"Ran-chan...we're gonna leave soon..." Ukyo called. "Come back!!"

**Sign:** Boy!! Get back on the boat!!

"Son-in-law...where are you headed for?!" Cologne exclaimed.

"Would you all shut up and leave him alone?!" Ryoga snapped. "He'll be back in a minute!!"

Ranma dipped into the shadowed space between crates, not in the least surprised to find Mousse standing there against them. He hadn't even bothered to show himself, but he knew. He knew he was there. The air always seemed much warmer when Mousse was around him, and it was damn near impossible to breathe when he invaded the space he was allowed. He closed his eyes worrying his lower lip as their heads met in a bittersweet embrace. Mousse's thumb gently coaxed his lower lip back out, lifting his head so their eyes could meet.

If he didn't know better, he'd swear there were flecks of gold under the bright turquoise he could easily get lost in.

"I'm sorry...so sorry, Ranma. I didn't mean to make this harder on you."

"...but I understand."

"Do you?"

He nodded, unable to help but know why things were as they were now. He moved a little closer, hiding his face against his neck and inhaling the bright scent of the sea, old spice, and something that was just Mousse. He couldn't get enough of it. Wouldn't get enough of it. "I didn't ask her to love me," he sighed. "And I don't want to go."

"I'll be there soon...I promise...."

"But a whole week??"

"We've gone longer...and it only makes it sweeter to see you when my heart aches for you."

".....no later?"

"No. I wish I could go now...but she thinks ill of me...and---mmmm..."

Mousse was cut off by a set of lips he couldn't say no too unless he was forced to. He wanted nothing more than to keep him close, to take him away from the madness, but this was only a mild version of everything about to pass. He sighed as he released his lips, holding him for as long as he could with his head buried in his sweet smelling hair.

"Just hurry up and get there." Ranma whispered.

"I hate seeing you miserable," Mousse sighed.

"If I have to be miserable just to be with you, it's worth it...I love you."

"I love you too...now hurry up before they leave...and try not to be too hard on Akane."

"No promises."

"You sound like Ryoga....I'll have to increase his pay."

He laughed, kissing him once more with everything he felt for him. It would have to last them. Soon enough he was back on the boat, gazing in his direction long after the vessel had pulled away from the docks. The wind pulled his hair in that direction, and the warmth of the day didn't compare to the warmth in his heart as he held the crystal against him. Mousse wouldn't be gone long...and he'd be okay without him for a little while. It was a hard pill to swallow, but necessary if he was to be surrounded by the traveling mayhem.

"Ranma...why'd you get off the boat??"

"Saying goodbye," he sighed. "You want something Akane?"

"No...just wanted to see if you were all right...."

No. He wasn't. And he told her so. "You know what? I'm not fine. So leave me alone, okay?"

That one sentence blew her out of sorts and out of the waters they called reality. She stood there stunned, gaping at the red back of Ranma glaring at the water. Mousse had said not to be too hard on her, but he didn't say anything about holding a grudge. Unless it was a question of importance, he refused to speak to her.

* * *

**_ The next night... _**

"_**Go away, Leave me alone, Not now Akane...' **_That's all he's said to me every time! It's really getting on my nerves!" Akane screamed.

"Calm down, Akane," Kasumi exclaimed. "Look...if you want...I'll talk to him and see what's wrong."

"Would you? Oh thank-you Kasumi!"

"Where is Ran-chan anyway?" Ukyo asked.

"He must be on the beach...that's where he's been ever since we've gotten here." Nabiki said walking into the room. "He hasn't eaten anything...he's so sad..."

"Even Shampoo can't get him to smile." Shampoo exclaimed. "He won't talk to great grandmother either."

"I'll go see what I can do..." Kasumi sighed. "I'll at least try and get him to eat..."

"Don't bother." Ryoga said walking by. "I got him to eat something already. You could try and talk to him...but understand, he's not much on conversation right now...."

Ryoga grabbed his bag and walked right out of the gym, without asking for directions! Akane was completely dumbfounded again, unaware of his gaze lingering to her own. Hah, if she thought this was amazing, wait until she met someone of a certain demeanor. Things were really going to get interesting then, if he could get the prince to go home. Regardless of his future strife, he ignored the obvious and focused on the task he was currently faced with: getting Ranma to eat.

"Damn it child...you meddle too much," Ryoga sighed. "I'll be shocked if I can actually get him to eat the whole banana next time."

From behind, Kasumi wondered at Ryoga's words. Had Akane done something that resulted in this? She slipped on her sneakers and ran for the entrance to the hotel to find out and to locate Ranma.

"I really wish Ranma would stop being so sad..." Kasumi sighed. "It's really not healthy."

* * *

Out on the sandy dunes of the beach alone, he sighed as the tropical winds blew through his hair, his pigtail always blowing in the one direction he had left behind Mousse. He tried to have a good time as Mousse had suggested, but ever since he had set foot on land, he just couldn't bring himself to do anything but stare out at the ocean. The waves washed the sands of the beach gently with its chilling waters, and the warming sand beneath him just cushioned his sorrow. He barely had the strength to move, let alone think, so he just sat there, alone with nothing more than memories to help him have the strength to even look at his family.

**_Someone's behind me..._._But it's not him._**

"Ranma..." Kasumi called, falling to her knees. "Ranma..."

Ranma looked back at her loving brown eyes, and let a tear flow as he turned around and reached out for her. Kasumi smiled and embraced him in a tight hug. She widened her eyes in disbelief for a second when he let out a sob and went limp in her arms. He was so frail--so sensitive now--what happened to him?

She waited until his sobs had settled down into quiet hiccups, gently drying his eyes with soft swipes of her hand. He smiled bitterly and remained leaning against her, unable to bring himself to sit up on his own just yet. He'd tried...but it was so hard knowing that the cause of his misery was in the house clueless. He closed his eyes and sighed again as Kasumi's grip on him tightened a little more.

"Ranma...what's going on? Why are you so upset?"

Did she want a list? He snorted and said nothing. It wouldn't have changed anything.

"We're worried about you...Akane, too. Did you two have a fight?? Did she do something?"

Only managed to leave the love of his life back home. He grew bitter once more, lifting himself enough to growl at nothing and everything. "She has no right to be worried about me," he spat. "No right!!"

"Ramna??!"

"She thinks I'm a jerk! A selfish prick! An immature little boy who doesn't think of anything else!!" He screamed out long and hard, slapping and digging his fists into the sands when he couldn't take the pressure of not hitting something to relieve himself. Kasumi remained sitting where she was, shocked and a little angry that it had come to this. Ranma hung his head, shivering from the effort of not cursing anymore than he had. "Damn it...why does she have to make things harder?! I want to tell her...but I can't..."

"Tell her what?"

"Please...don't be angry with me...but I can't give her what she wants," he pleaded desperately clinging to the sands. It was just too much for him to bear. He needed to tell someone, anyone would would lend him a kind ear. Kasumi was the only person he could think of that wouldn't shun him for his deceit, or tell anyone else unless she was forced to. He looked at her on the verge of crying once more, but held it in for the sake of his own sanity.

"Ranma??"

"...I love someone else," he sighed. "And all I want is for him to be here with me...right now."

Oddly enough, that explained a hell of a lot. The poor boy was lovesick...and not over her sister. She fought not to squirm in glee, but it was difficult. Very difficult.

"Please don't freak out on me..."

"I won't...but I'll tell you a secret if you tell me yours," she offered. The disbelief on his face was a good enough reason for her to let out the grin she'd been holding in. The eldest Tendo sister may have been brought up to take care of house and home, but that didn't mean she didn't have a life. "Interested?"

Nabiki had to get those skills from somewhere. He smiled a little and nodded in agreement. "Okay...I'll tell you."

"Yosh! So...who's the lucky person?"

He stalled for a moment longer and blushed as he held his head. "The person I'm in love with...is Mousse."

Yes...that explained a hell of a lot more than it did before. Mousse wasn't here, and from what she understood Akane had uninvited him. "You know, that doesn't surprise me in the least," she admitted softly. Ranma looked up at her again, jaw slightly agape at the eldest Tendo sister. She only smiled at him and brush a bit of his bangs out of his eyes. "You two spend so much time together...and then there's the fact that you seem to like making out when others aren't around," she giggled. "Especially those hickeys he leaves on your shoulders."

Ranma covered his shoulder and blushed in embarrassment before Kasumi grabbed his hands and held them. He looked up to see that loving smile of hers and couldn't help but give her a faint smile. She was always so easy to talk to. It was of no wonder as to why Dr. Tofu loved her so much.

"I guess...I should cover that up..."

She giggled again, and shook her head. "Leave it. Do you feel better now?"

"....yeah...a little."

"Should I spill my secret now?"

"I still can't believe you have a secret...Kasumi of all people."

"Everyone has secrets...and I've been keeping this one for the past two years..."

"What?! Oh this, I've got to hear...."

This time she laughed and flicked him on the forehead. "Silly Ranma. You should know this already...but Tofu and I..."

"...he worked up the nerve to ask you out?!"

"Yeah...not really. It was a pure accident, but one I took him up on. Besides..." she giggled blushing lightly, "It was a good thing I did. I mean, our family wouldn't have any sisters who would be getting married at all!"

Why was that such a surprise? "Say what?!"

"I know! But I suppose the hard part of it all is telling father about it. I don't think I can stand him crying...."

"Embarrassing?"

"More like annoying. Come on now," she urged. "...let's get you something to eat...I think you lost a few pounds..."

"Kasumi....you won't tell will you?"

"Your secret's safe. You know that Ranma."

"So is yours..." he said, as his stomach announced itself. She laughed and he blushed as it kept clawing at him for the obvious. "...but it's no secret that I'm starving."

Before she knew it Ranma was on his feet and on his way back to the hotel. She scurried to her feet and ran after him calling for him to wait up. It was funny how food always got Ranma moving.

* * *

**_Two days later... _**

Lying there in the middle of the beach in nothing more than a bikini and cut off shorts was sure to get any man's attention. She'd had gotten more than her fair share of onlookers, admirers, and quite a few catcalls/invitations. It rolled off of her like snow in the middle of the desert. She could have cared less about it all, and even less about the tan lines she was going to have from being in the sun like this. It was going to look a little weird when she turned back into a guy, but she was too hot to bother with the hot water today.

Of course, being who she was, it was inevitable that the little demonic pervert would take notice. A subtle movement of wind like tendencies tipped her off long before the attempt was even made. She stretched a little. His tongue fell out of his mouth. He moved that much faster and soon went sailing into the ocean for his efforts. She remained on the beach, disgust clear on her face as she lowered the umbrella she'd borrowed from Ryoga.

"Dirty old man," she muttered. "I hope you drown..."

Another flicker of movement had her lifting her glasses. She stood there with her hands clasped behind her back, a small smile on her face as she leaned forward a bit. One would think by now that she'd wear something else besides the one piece...

"Hey....do you want something to eat?"

Yes. But not with her. She quickly gathered her towel and bag, carrying it and the umbrella towards the house. Akane followed after her, sighing inwardly at the silence that followed. Once again she was a victim to the silent treatment. After three days of this, she might have gotten used to it. Might have.

**_Is he still mad at me?_**

Ranma-chan quickly made her way past the sands and into the house toward the room she resided in next to Ryoga's. He happened to be walking out as she was walking in, which made giving him the umbrella that much easier. He caught it, faintly aware that she'd dented it a little. She must have smacked the pervert real hard this time.

"Feeling better?"

"...a little. Thank you."

"Hah! He'd kill me if I let that bastard touch you."

"Really?"

"No...but he'd try. You hungry?"

"Duh! Let me change and we can go."

She ducked into her room, leaving the uncomfortable silence, Akane, and Ryoga out in the hallway. Akane bit back a frustrated growl and turned away from his inquiring gaze. He snorted and folded his arms. No use in getting upset now child.

"Careful Akane, you might blow...." Ryoga warned lightly.

"Ooh!! Why can't he just say something to me?!" Akane growled.

"She's still pissed. **I'm** still pissed..."

"What for?! I didn't do anything! I was trying to be nice! Why is he so mad at me?"

"Chill out Akane! It's no big deal...we'll get over it."

"Ahhhhhh!! You little pervert! I swear if he were here he'd rip your little ancient arms off!!"

"Wahhhhhhhh!!"

Ryoga looked and moved out of the way in time to see Happosai come crashing through the door to his room. He came to a painful halt when he crashed into the wall. Ranma-chan came storming out with a bat over her shoulders, dressed in her normal attire. That bat almost had a new home, but Ryoga intervened and grabbed hold of it before it became a new part of the pervert's head.

"Come on now...don't kill the old bastard," Ryoga chuckled. "Let's go get some lunch."

"All right," Ranma-chan murmured.

"What was that all about?" Akane asked.

"Happosai was being himself again...I don't see how he could come...little old freak."

"Now-now...calm down," Ryoga urged. "It's fine..."

"Ranma...did he give you that bruise on your shoulder?" Akane asked. "I've never seen it before now..."

_**Crap.**_ "....I really got to cover that up..." Ranma-chan mumbled. "This is nothing...I just hurt myself..."

"Hey Ran-chan!" Ukyo called. "You've got a phone call!"

"From who?!" Ranma-chan asked.

"It sounds like Mousse..."

Ranma-chan took off and left them behind. Ryoga couldn't help but laugh at her sudden outburst. Yeah, she had it **bad**. Akane didn't know what to make of the ordeal. Ranma-chan hadn't showed this much enthusiasm in the five days they had been here. Now she jumps up the minute she gets a phone call from Mousse? Akane couldn't figure it out.

Ranma-chan grabbed the phone from Ukyo but paused a bit to breath out. She waved Ukyo away from her, waited until she was out of sight to put the receiver to her ear.

"Hello?"

_"Ranma~~~"_

"Mousse!!"

_"Love...are you all right?"_

**_No. I want you here with me. _**"I'm...okay. Are you okay?"

_"Of course not! I miss you..."_

"I miss you, too..."

_"Hey...can you do me a favor?"_

"Sure. What?"

_"Go out on the Beach...don't ask questions...just go out on the beach."_

"A-alright..."

_"I'll see you there. Bye."_

Ranma-chan dropped the phone and bolted into the kitchen. The kettle that was always on hand and filled with the necessary hot water was snatched, dumped on her head, and left in Kasumi's pondering hands. No more than another moment had passed before he was back out, dressed differently but still able to draw anyone's eyes to him. Perhaps it was the sudden notice of his braid flailing behind him, or those shorts that did his unseen body justice in the calling light. The wife beater didn't hide much else, nor his eyes if one were to spy him at that moment. Ryoga smirked and Akane gaped alongside Ukyo and a drooling Shampoo. Where was he going? And dressed like that?!

He was almost out of sight and out the door when Genma's quick hand snatched him back. Caught wrist in hand and no way to be free, he did the only thing he could think of.

"Ryoga!!"

Genma blinked. He only had a second to realize that the world was spinning and then there was PAIN. Ryoga glared at him from above, wiping his hands clean. "That's what you get for eating my last dumpling..."

Cologne hopped over to the commotion in time to see the front door slam shut. The girls made to follow, but Kasumi blocked their path with Ryoga standing firm behind her. Anyone who tried to get past her would go flying. That was a promise he enforced with a glimpse down at the spiral-eyed man babbling nonsense right about now.

"Leave him alone," she exclaimed. "He'll be back in a little bit."

"Be back from where?" Ukyo pondered. "Does...this have something to do with that phone call?"

"Well DUH," Nabiki mentioned as she walked past them all, "Mousse did call him a minute ago. I heard her say his name."

"Strange he should get a phone call from Mousse." Cologne sighed. "I didn't give him the number."

"Shampoo no give number..." Shampoo mused. "How he know?"

"Same way anyone knows," Nabiki smirked. "He probably asked Kuno."

Akane stared at the door that had closed seconds prior. Mousse again...."What is up with him?!"

As she wondered, Ranma headed for the crashing shoreline. The endless blue breathed out and in, alive and calling within the brightness of the early noon. He stopped short of meeting the cool waters, eyes stuck to the lone man standing ankle deep only a few feet away. There were nothing more than loose shorts and an open sleeveless shirt to hide the wonder of a deity standing against the sun's bright rays. Long black flowing tresses tumbled in the wind's path, decorated with a set of horns that were blatantly on display for all to see. He turned, those turquoise eyes flickering into gold; an arm turned upward and in to shut and sheath the phone in hand. His smile made his body throb, his hand reaching out to him made it nearly impossible to move.

"Ranma...."

"....Mousse??"

"Would you come over here already?! I've been deprived for four--omph!"

He was in his arms, hugging the life out of him and breathing it back in a kiss that could bring down the mountains. Too long. Four days was too long without the feel of him under his fingers. He didn't think it could get this bad, but didn't quite care. He pulled away and hugged him again, relieved and warm from the inside out. He hadn't quite noticed how cold it had been without him. Hadn't quite noticed how dull the air was when he was gone. Now...it was as if life had gotten a second wind and decided to live it up days before the world's end. He could live with that, as long as Mousse was around.

Mousse had a similar reaction, though his need was greater than he would allow to show. He settled for nipping at his shoulder, hands sliding against the skin beneath that infernal piece of cloth; fingers pressing and pulling against the soft skin humming to his silent tune. He stopped shy of the delicate curve of his hips, biting and soothing the mark he'd placed there days before with a light lick. Not the mark he wanted to place, but sufficient nonetheless.

"Mine..."

"Yours...don't you dare leave me again!" he cried burying himself against his neck. "Damn it...I missed you so much..."

"I said I'd come...but a week was a little much for my head. So, I came early."

"Don't leave me...please just stay here..."

"Not in that house," he snorted. He soothed his lover's discontent with a chaste kiss upon the head. "I know...but I plan to steal a good bit of your time away while I'm here."

"How long...where are you staying??"

"On the opposite end of the beach. We rented the house there."

"We??"

"Mina and I. She was free...and bored...so we came up with the money. We have two stowaways with us...but, I figured the more the merrier. That's not a problem is it?"

"No...but how could you afford Kuno's rates?? I mean...Nabiki got us a good deal because she knew how to hit him in the balls...."

"Hn. Interesting. All I had to do was ask...not to mention the little fund I've got going."

"....what fund??"

"The one for our wedding. Remember?" he asked holding up his left hand and kissing the center of it. It glimmered under the sun, simple and elegant and another mark that remained of him. It was a good thing he'd enchanted it for his and Ranma's eyes alone. Otherwise, there would have been a bunch of questions to answer. "The ring?"

"I thought you said..."

"It was a temporary engagement ring...and it is. Soon you'll be wearing it with the wedding ring...and you'll be wearing this crystal on that day," he said admiring it around his neck. Thank the gods for small favors and old traditions. That, and the insistence of his father forcing it on him when he'd come here. "You see, this crystal is only meant for the one person I was to fall in love with. If it should burn under the sun while you are wearing it, it means that you are the only one destined for me."

Sure enough, Ranma looked down to see the crystal burning brightly with a fire that did not burn. He awed at it and then looked to Mousse gently brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Do you love me?"

"You don't know how much..."

"Funny...I was supposed to say that," he chuckled lightly. "Mmm...I'm going to enjoy this."

Lips barely brushing against the other, Ranma folded into his arms and closed his eyes. He barely felt the tip of Mousse's tongue searching for his own before they were forced apart by the callings of Akane Tendo. He sighed as Mousse growled in frustration and fell with him in the sands with his arms still wrapped around him. It would have been better to pry himself out of his embrace, but he had gone too long without it to just give it up.

It was another moment before common sense decided to play a factor. Ranma and Mousse let go of the other, irritated or heartbroken that the moment was short lived. Ranma closed his eyes and fell backwards on the sand, only to open them again when a shadow loomed over him.

"What is it, Akane?"

"I just wanted to know why you took off like that," Akane said, eyeing Mousse. "Now I know."

"I was just leaving." Mousse exclaimed.

"What?!" Ranma scrambled to his knees and crawled over to brace himself against Mousse's shoulders. "You said--!"

"I said not in _**that**_ house. I still plan on taking up your time...just later, okay?"

"But Mousse..."

Mousse leaned forward enough to gently tap the edge of his chin. "It'll be okay," he whispered. "I'll get to see you soon. Just hold that thought. All right?"

"....all right."

He could see that this was killing him, but this was the only way. Well, the only way not to call attention to anyone by frying the source of their current misery. That thought alone decided his quick departure lest his horns act without his permission...AGAIN.

"Later..._My love_."

Ranma watched him until he was nothing more than a speck in the wind, just like that day he had left him behind. He only had one person to thank for that, and he wasn't about to thank her anytime soon.

A soft hand on his shoulder caused him to jerk his shoulder away. He turned around frowning, wondering why he was getting a glare. He should have been the one glaring. "Don't touch me," he growled.

"What is your problem?!" she snapped. "Why are you so mad at me?!"

"Why are you so mad at Mousse?! He didn't do anything!"

"I just think he's up to something!! What?! He was trying to kill you before!!"

"That was before!! He knows I'm not after Shampoo!!"

"Then why is he always sneaking around?! And where are his glasses anyway?!"

"What does his glasses have to do with this!?"

"Nothing!! Look just stay away from him alright!? Until I'm sure he's not up to something, I don't think it's wise to be his friend...."

"You don't run my life! I can be friends with whomever I please! All you are is an annoyance that keeps getting in the way of what I want to do! Stay out of my life damn it!!"

A loud slap echoed over the waters and sands alike. Ranma tentatively raised his hand to his cheek, willing himself not to cry then and there. Akane remained where she stood, angrier than she had ever been.

"If I'm such an annoyance, maybe you should marry one of the others!!" she screamed. "I can't stand you!"

"....why are you so hung up on Mousse?!"

"Get it through your thick skull! He's only your friend because Shampoo likes you! If you like him, Shampoo likes him you dumb jerk!"

Ranma shook his head. Akane reached out to shake it into him but he knocked her away. She landed hard on the sands but not hard enough to knock her out to keep her from seeing his fleeing frame. All she could do was get to her feet calling after him. A set of firm hands on her shoulders kept her from following.

"That was totally uncalled for!" Kasumi snapped. "I thought I asked you not to go after him! This was his moment, not yours!"

"Yeah but..."

"But nothing! Akane...when and if he comes back, you had better apologize! I mean it!! Mousse has done nothing wrong and you can't think ill of someone who has done nothing more than befriend Ranma. Jealousy is an ugly thing."

"Jealous?! What's there to be jealous of!?"

"Try Mousse getting all of Ranma's attention," someone else sighed. "How's that?"

Akane looked to her right to see Nabiki standing there with her arms crossed. Not too far behind her was Ryoga, staring off in the direction Ranma had run off. She turned her gaze away from them and broke free of their accusing eyes. She wasn't jealous!

Was she?

* * *

**_Somewhere else on the beach..._**

Running at the moment seemed to be the only freedom he could be granted without someone's questions to burden him. He ran far and fast, over the warm sands of the day and along the horizon of where the sand and ocean met. The wind blew against him as if to slow him down, but he pushed against it and kept running forward. The cool air from the surrounding seas took away some of the sting in his cheek, yet the tender flesh upon the inside of his torn cheek throbbed horribly. She had hit him much harder than she normally would have, which was something he hadn't been expecting. Her words stuck to him though he tried to shake them off, and her eyes stayed in his mind which did not allow reality to connect to his brain. Questions were forming, questions that were never there long enough to linger and hinder his feelings. What if she was right? What if it was nothing more than a ploy to get closer to...

He shook his head with a cry and ran even faster. Had he been there in the real world, he might have seen him. He might have seen his hand snake out to catch him by his own, or felt the sands when he fell backward because of it. It took a moment of staring at nothingness through his tears to realize that someone aside his doubt was talking to him for real. He blinked and looked up again, almost startled to see Mousse looking down at him worriedly.

"Ranma?! Are you all right?!"

".......I don't....think so..."

"Ranma?? What happened to your face?!" Mousse cried angrily as he got a good look at it. He lifted his chin a bit to get a better observation, growling at the handprint embedded in his flesh. "Who did this?! Did she do this!?"

"....do you love me?"

"What??"

"Do you love me...and only me? There's...no one else??"

"Ranma, you know I love only you! Why?! What did she say to you?!"

".....you're not...just using me...to get closer...to Shampoo, right? She was wrong...I know she is. She has...to be!"

"Ranma, get a grip! I don't love Shampoo! I never have! I only keep her attentions to keep her from getting to you. You know that better than anyone else. Didn't...I tell you the truth that day?" he asked smiling softly. Ranma looked up at him from where he lay against him, sniffling lightly as Mousse leaned his head on his own. "Remember? That spice?"

How could he forget it? He was telling the truth for about a solid three hours that day. He smiled faintly against him. "I remember..."

"Why would I give you a ring if I didn't mean it? Why would I suffer with you if I had other intentions? Ranma, don't listen to her mindless babbling. You've seen the proof for yourself...how else can I prove it to you that it's only you I want?"

"....I'm sorry..."

The only way to seal this bond was to actually seal it in blood. Mousse brought his hand up to his lips and bit the inside of his palm. His fangs tore a nice sized wound into his palm, causing his blood to drip onto the sands. Ranma blinked and stared up at him in horror. What was he doing?!

"Mousse?!"

He said nothing as he snatched his right hand up and slit his own palm. Ranma winced with a soft cry, only to find himself staring at their mingling blood in the next moment. Mousse pressed their open palms together, twining their fingers.

"My blood is yours. My heart is yours. My soul...is yours. I will bleed only for you..." Mousse whispered. "I will die only for you."

"Mousse..."

"She can say a million things but she'll never know how much I truly love you. Never."

"I'm sorry...for ever doubting you..." Ranma murmured. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's not your fault. Lots of people have doubt about their relationships with other people. See it's okay...but don't ever think that I don't love you. I will never stop loving you."

"I won't...I'm sorry..."

"Stop apologizing...it's my fault. I shouldn't have left so soon. I'm the one who should be apologizing. Now come on," he urged lifting him up. "Let's get you cleaned up at my house."

"Where is your house?"

"Right behind you."

Ranma looked to the side and fell back in the sand when he realized he had run pretty far from where his own house was. Mousse laughed and helped him back up. Exhaustion was funny sometimes.

* * *

**_Sometime later..._**

Day had finally become evening, and the summer sun colored its skies with its fiery red and flaming orange. Clouds of pink danced though the skies over the rushing seas, and looked down upon a troubled bunch of people treading the cooling sands of the evening. They walked along the beach calling out to the seas and land, yet they never received an answer. She was the most worried of all. She had driven him away from the house and now no one knew where he was. He had been gone for hours, and the hour was going on eight o'clock. He hadn't come home for dinner, and he hadn't even called the house to say where he was at. She sighed before she called out his name again, and continued the search for him.

"So do you think he's with Mousse?" Kasumi asked softly.

"I know he's with Mousse," Ryoga smirked. "Where else could he be?"

"A million places but here...he looked really mad."

"I bet he was mad...you don't think they went into the city?"

"They could have...all they need is a map, and some money and they could have gone home...by foot."

"Hey look! I found a house!" Happosai exclaimed. "And there's a trail of blood!! Could be a murder!!"

"Don't say that!!" Akane cried.

Happosai leapt up and ran for the house with everyone hot on his trail. He jumped up and down pointing to the trail of blood leading up to the house. Akane became much more frightened than she had been and ran strait for the house ahead of the others.

_**Why did I do that?! Now...he might be...**_

* * *

"I'm going to get more popcorn" Mina said looking into the empty bowl. "You guys are pigs!"

"We are not!" Four voices said playfully.

"Yes you are," Mina said laughing gently as she walked to the kitchen.

A pair of haunting deep blue eyes with a smile to match shooed her away with a hand gesture. "Mina...go make the popcorn already! Your big brother is getting hungry!"

"Why doesn't he make it himself?"

"Because that's what my little sister is for," he grinned. He earned a pillow to his face. "You are so annoying Kisho!"

"I am not," he said looking to a pair of gentle gray eyes. "Am I Shuichi?"

"Whatever," he said dismissing the whole manner playfully. "You guys are both annoying."

That earned him two pillows in the face. Shuichi grabbed the pillows with the intent to throw them back but lay down on them instead. Mina laughed at the expression on Kisho's face and walked into the kitchen.

The two guests that had tagged along were none other than Mina's elder brother and her brother's fianc. He'd come in from out of town for the summer to visit his family with his lover this time. He hadn't quite gotten the gist of why he wasn't allowed before, but something in the way Kisho smiled so often said he was relieved. Shuichi's soft smiles only furthered that feeling of content between them. Mina seemed generally happy herself, as did Mousse. There was more to the story, but it was meant for another time.

Ranma was content to bury himself in his beloved's side, breathing in the scent of popcorn, afternoon, and laziness. The movie played upon the television but he could careless about it. He was warm, happy, and pleasantly sleepy in the arm that embraced him so. He turned his head to fall into that bliss, but the firm BANG of the door had him up and flinging the bag of chips out of Mousse's hands.

"Oooh...nice. I might have burnt those..."

Another firm knock on the door had everyone jumping up or out. Mousse was the first one to move towards the door, willing Ranma to stay where he was. The tension in the air thickened ten fold as Kisho moved behind Mousse, Shuichi gathering himself behind Ranma as Mina strayed from the depths of the kitchen. One would swear that the horns came out on all of them the longer that door continued to be pounded upon. Kisho actually growled at the noise.

"Calm down, Kisho..."

"Mousse..."

"I said calm **down**. Let's see who it is before we char them to death."

"I thought the charm was to keep demons away," Mina mused. "It couldn't be--"

"No...its not," Mousse grumbled. He sniffed the air and snorted it out just as quickly, unable to take the smell of it still pounding on the door. He groaned in annoyance. "But humans can get past it...troublesome humans at that."

* * *

Akane was about to bang on the door again when she heard the doorknob turn. She back away into her father and a nonchalant Genma, who didn't seem too worried about Ranma at all. Happosai sat on Soun's head, and Cologne was busy watching a worried Shampoo. Shampoo cowered a bit behind Ukyo who had her Spatula drawn and ready to flatten anyone who was a threat. They were all tense and ready to fight, all except Kasumi and Ryoga. They leaned against the wall and sighed at the pathetic sight before them.

"Who do you think will run first?" Ryoga asked.

"Does it matter?" Kasumi sighed.

Akane was the one to tense a little when the door opened a little then snapped open all together. Everyone took a step back when they saw a horned dark figure appear in the shadows of the house when the door had snapped open. He stepped forward and frowned when he was revealed in the light. Akane could have killed him right then and there, if not for the sudden remembrance of what those horns were capable of. Aside her own fear, Cologne's staff prevented her from doing so as well.

"What do **_you_** guys want?" Mousse sighed.

"What are you doing here?!" Akane snapped.

"I am here for the summer. Bye."

"Hold it!" Akane said pushing the door to keep it open. "What did you do to him?!"

"To who?"

"Ranma! He was running this way...after we fought. Is he here?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Akane....now would be a good time to back off," Ryoga warned lightly. "Aye...the child has no respect Mi' Lord. Even with your horns there for the world to see!"

"I see that." He shoved his way out of the door and into her space, towering and toppling her backward into her father. His horns sizzled with the urge to strike then and there, but he willed them to only spark long enough to get his point across to this stubborn child. Despite being backed into a corner she unconsciously clung to, she pushed herself into his personal air and fought not to choke on the smoke coming from his nostrils.

"Akane...STOP IT."

"And what's it to you?!" Akane snapped at Ryoga. "What do you care anyhow?!"

"Insolent BRAT... I've warned ye time and time alike not te mess with t'e prince, and ye foolhearted and bloody incompetent to know when ya'v been hindered by his royalty!" he spat right back. "Aye! Do awey wit her prince and lift the burden, will ya?! I no longer care what ye do to her, just leave me owt of it!"

And just like that, he was gone and walking off muttering to himself. His tongue turned between the old language and the current, strings of foul curses lingering in the air alongside that infamous temper. Mousse shook his head and gestured for Kasumi to tend to the man. He tended to calm down around a soothing presence, and she was perhaps the only one around here that was sane. Nabiki maybe...but she wasn't here.

Maybe the old man had sense as well. Soun grabbed his daughter, pulling him from the space she'd trotted into blindly. "Akane...this is going too far," he warned. "You know not of what you are dealing with!"

"Don't you care whether or not Ranma is alive?"

"Well yes but..."

"Then let me beat the truth out of him!" Akane snapped.

Mousse let his horns charge up a little more."....you've got TEN seconds to leave this place..."

"No! Not until you tell me where Ranma is!! I know he's here!! I saw the blood leading up to here!!"

"Blood? What do you know of blood and its meaning?" he growled deeply. "Blood is life, the very thing that separates us from the dead, and the very thing that links us to one another." Before she could open her mouth anymore, he sent a charge of crimson lighting her way. She moved in time to avoid being electrocuted, but the same couldn't be said for the patio. "By the way, it was mine you were looking at. Now get off of **my** **PROPERTY**!! **ALL OF YOU**!!"

"Just tell me if he's all right!" Ukyo cried. "I know you won't hurt him...but...just tell me..."

Ah the ever hopeful girl who didn't want to give up her chance of grasping Ranma, Ukyo. He had to smile a little sadly at her. It was hard being in love with someone who could never love them back. She seemed to realize this as their eyes met, and slowly backed away after he nodded to her question. Without the slightest bit of warning, she ran off to where Ryoga and Kasumi sat rubbing her eyes of the oncoming tears.

"The poor girl..." Cologne sighed. "I'm sure she'll find her prince one day. She's got a kind heart that one."

"And now we're down to six annoyances with the biggest one in my face," Mousse growled. "You've got three seconds to leave!"

"Mousse!! Where Ranma at?! Tell Shampoo!!" Shampoo shouted. "Aaah!!"

Another bolt of lighting snapped at them, causing Happosai, Soun, and Genma to run off of the patio and a fair distance from where Mousse stood. "One..."

"Mousse...be honest with me," Cologne sighed. "As your elder, I want to know if you intend to do anything harmful to Ranma. "

"No! I intend no such thing! I keep telling you I'm not going to kill him or hurt him. He's mine...only mine! Two!!"

"I don't believe it!" Akane snapped. "After everything you've done, I don't believe it for a minute!"

"Thre---"

"Stop it!!" Kisho and Shuichi fell backwards no longer able to hold him back. "I can't take it anymore!"

Ranma screamed out in agony, and pushed his way past Mousse and showed himself glowing with fury. Cologne didn't budge from where she stood. Shampoo and Akane were elated to see him, but the same couldn't be said for Ranma. In a moment of blind fury, he erupted into flames, screaming out his agony as he drove them all back. The force was enough to knock Shampoo and Akane a good ten feet, and even then it wasn't enough. They weren't far enough away. He moved off of the patio and walked along the sands to where the girls stood shaking themselves free of sand and confusion.

"Whoa..." Kisho said from the doorway. "He's mad..."

"Hmm... " Shuichi said, holding his gaze on Ranma, "I don't think that's all he is..."

"What is Ranma doing?" Ukyo asked.

"It's a bluff," Happosai huffed. "Nothing to worry about."

"I don't think so," Soun mused. "It's too powerful to be a bluff."

"It's called being angry," Ryoga grumbled. "She's gone too far this time."

"Ranma..." Akane called. "Ranma...please!! Stop it!"

"Great grandmother!! What Ranma is doing?!" Shampoo cried.

"I really don't have the slightest idea." Cologne lied. She knew. Trying to get Akane off of his back had come down to this. If it were in control...they would all be in serious danger.

"Ranma!!" Akane cried.

"Leave me alone!!" Ranma screamed. He sent them back a little further and into the embrace of the others. "Just leave us alone!!"

"Ranma..."

"I don't wanna hear it! You won't ruin this for me! I want you to go home!! Just leave me alone...please..."

"Wow...Ran-chan _**is**_ mad," Ukyo murmured. "Maybe we should leave."

"You think?" Genma exclaimed. "These are the times you _really_ **want** to leave him _**alone**_."

Everyone in front of Ranma ran down the beach to go home. There was only Cologne, Shampoo, and a crying Akane left. Shampoo, not wanting to take any chances, grabbed Akane by her wrist and pulled her away from where she stood. She refused to go but Cologne put an end to that by pressing a pressure point to make her sleep.

Shampoo grabbed the limp Akane taking one last look at Ranma, before hopping off after the others who had left. Cologne followed shortly after, giving Mousse a glance. He was going to have to tell him soon. Mousse nodded after her and waited until she was gone to tend to a fallen Ranma. It shouldn't have surprised him that he could muster all of that energy at once, but it was rather draining to the system to use it like that for a novice. He knelt down in the sands and lifted him up into his arms.

"....Mousse??"

"Rest now," he whispered kissing his cheek softly. "Just rest."

* * *

Lemon in the Next chapter... a really LONG one...

XD I may have to delete it cause it ain't tame at all!!


	6. The Next Step

**AN:**

We're going to get a little slower with updating here. I haven't written much past the next two chapters, and from there it gets REALLY WEIRD.

Plus we are getting a lot of hits, but not that many reviews. :) If you like me you will tell me. Save those few who already have, THANK YOU KINDLY!

So you know:

Mousse is a demon. His family history will be discussed later on as we progress through the story.

Ranma is his intended. His disposition will change in the human world but he's going to meet Mousse's real family later on. (OH WHAT JOY!)

Ryoga is a demon. The whole turning into a pig thing was a fluke on his part for following Ranma, like the orginal story says, but he's something else though. I haven't figured out WHAT though, but he's got an accent like that of a Brachae Demon. Maybe wolf, maybe not.

Mina is a demon. She comes into play later. She is related to Ryoga, but that will be discussed later on as well.

Akane is akane. Nuff said.

Anyhow: ON WITH THE STORY!!

* * *

**Part 6:**

Demonic Fires

* * *

"Mousse..." Ranma whispered. "Hey sleepyhead..."

He rolled over twice before turning to face the voice calling him from his fit of sleeping. He opened his eyes long enough to spy Ranma leaning over him in nothing more than the skin he was born in. Instinct told him to throw him into the bed and screw him senseless for being a tease, but he settled for grabbing two handfuls of cheek and bringing him down to lie on him. Ranma giggled as Mousse kissed his shoulder and lazily ran his hands up and down his ass. He was always blatant with what he wanted, but he would never push him to do anything he wasn't ready for. That was one of the many reasons he loved him so much.

"You awake now?" he giggled kissing his nose. "Hmm? Mousse?"

"Awake? So I'm really holding your ass?" Mousse yawned. "Wow....it feels good. I think I'll do it more often."

"Mousse~~!"

"What?" he laughed. He squeezed his cheeks a little more than before, parting them slightly and letting a single finger tease his entrance. Ranma blushed as he tried not to moan aloud. "Come on...let me enjoy this. I won't be able to do this for a while..."

"Mousse..."

"So what did you wake me up for?" he asked moving his hands back up again. He laughed as Ranma breathed in relief and leaned up to kiss his rose colored cheeks. "Hmm?"

"I...was going to make breakfast. Any requests?"

"You."

"Ha ha. Very funny mister."

"The usual, please."

"Alright."

"And then a side of you. All right?"

"....We'll see."

Ranma wriggled out of his embrace before he could come up with any more ideas. He was out of the bed, in boxers, and out the door before Mousse even found the energy to sit up. Instead of crawling out of the bed like he should have, he plopped back on the pillows sighing to himself.

It was nice. Just having silence and the sounds of peace ringing loudly throughout the house was something he could get very used to. Somewhere within the walls, he knew Mina was waking up and probably thinking of more ways to ensure their union. That sneaky girl. He was going to have to find a way to pull one over on her just so she didn't beat him to the punch. How she knew about Ranma was something he'd never figure out, but he was grateful that he followed his instincts after all...and also followed her and Ryoga's advice.

He sat up, focusing his ears for a moment. Not too far away he could hear the sounds of a dragon snoring the morning away in the embrace of another demon. Surely Kisho, Mina's brother, was the one behind the snoring. His scent was like that of an old English beast, and his eyes were shaped no differently though they were blue. Shuichi on the other hand smelt like a half breed. He was half human, of that there was no doubt, but what was the other half of him? Somehow he didn't really want to know...but curiosity was pulling at him to question. Kisho had business to attend to while he was here, as did Shuichi, which came of no surprise. He wouldn't have been surprised either if he were to find out that they were investigating the gates. Every demon who thought it better to live freely than to die enslaved wanted to know about the gates.

The thought of the gates brought back the subject of Ranma. He was going to have to let him know about it soon, before it was too late.

"RANMA!!"

Why wasn't that a surprise to his ears? He sighed to himself and got out of the bed, grabbing his boxers on the way out. "Don't bother," he muttered walking strait past Shuichi. "Go back to bed. I've got this..."

Shuichi yawned and went back into the room he was sharing with Kisho. It was too early to even think about moving let alone do it. Besides which, he didn't feel like getting burned. No sooner was he at the edge of the bed did massive wings spread themselves. They curled around him and drew him back into waiting arms looking to smother him with sleep.

"Is he going to set us all on fire?" Kisho asked sleepily.

Shuichi snorted and fell strait asleep.

Mousse had made his way toward the staircase and hopped down the last half of it to get to the door. Honestly, what was it with people and screaming for Ranma? Couldn't they just KNOCK on the door?

"Yeah, what do you want now?!" he snapped opening the door with some force. The sun blinded him for a moment, but it wasn't enough to keep him from seeing both Genma and Ryoga on the patio. Genma snorted a little and threw a bag his way.

"Whats this?" Mousse asked.

"Some of Ranma's clothes," Genma explained. "I had to sneak out of the house to get that here."

"How kind..."

"Actually, he brought them, Kasumi packed them." Ryoga winked with the most devious smirk. "She put something special for Ranma to give to you later. Hope you enjoy it!"

"I know when Ranma is mad...and that wasn't something he could just pull out of a hat," Genma said. "I think it would be better if he stayed here for a while."

Mousse eyed him warily. Did Ryoga do something to him? "Are you serious?"

"Oh, he's serious," Ryoga exclaimed. "And I didn't say a word! Honest! It's all him!"

"Ooookay. Look...I'm sorry about yesterday..."

Genma shook his head. "No need to apologize, my Lord. Bye-bye Mousse."

"Yeah! Hope you enjoy that surprise." Ryoga smirked. "Bye!"

My Lord? Did he know?! Mousse could only wonder about that man as he vanished from his sight. He knew Ryoga couldn't have told him, since it would have meant risking himself as well as their safety. Yet how was it that he knew of his status?? He thought about it a bit as he walked back into the house with the bag, and then he wondered about that smirk on Ryoga's face. What the hell was he up to this time?!

"I'll figure it out later..."

"Figure what out?" A female voice yawned coming out of the bathroom.

"Morning Mina. It's nothing. I just wonder what Ryoga is up to this time..."

Mina giggled to herself and went in her room. Mousse didn't even want to know.

* * *

_**A little bit later...**_

Breakfast was waiting on the table by the time he actually washed and dressed for the day ahead of them. The initial plan? Lay around the beach all day and do nothing while nursing Ranma's ego back to health. He grinned to himself thinking of how many ways he could have Ranma writhing against him. There were just too many to choose from!

"What are you grinning about?"

Mousse wandered into the kitchen shaking his head. "Nothing much. I see your brother and his friend haven't emerged as of yet..."

Mina nodded and flipped the page to the magazine she was reading. "Don't expect to see them until noon," she sighed. "It's summer. They're going to sleep in everyday until college starts back up."

"Ah. I wonder if I'll have morning classes..." he mused silently.

"Morning classes?" someone asked. "You mean as in college??"

Mousse nodded and tilted his head back to receive his first honest kiss of the morning. "Can't lay around and do nothing forever," he answered. "Besides, you'll be starting in the spring of next year, right?"

Ranma nodded. "That's the plan. Hey...who was at the door this morning?"

A bag lifted from the floor was the answer to his question. He grunted at it as he picked it up and placed it on the counter to open it. "Your father brought it over," Mousse sighed. "He said it was better for you to stay here for a little while rather than come back too soon."

"Are you serious?!"

"I asked him the same thing!"

"Ive got to hand it to the old man...he really knows when to leave alone."

"Ryoga said something that caught my attention though," he smirked faintly leaning back.

"Really? What?"

Mina kept quiet even though she was grinning like a mad woman behind her magazine. Ryoga was really bold to hook them up like this. Was he that determined to keep them together? Was he that afraid of losing it all again??

"He said Kasumi put something in there for you to give to me..."

"I wonder..."

Ranma took the bag and opened it. He blushed brightly when he saw what Kasumi had put in there. Did Ryoga slip it in there on purpose or did Kasumi actually go there? The suggestion alone was enough to make him blush, forget about imagining it!

"What's in there?" Mousse asked looking over his shoulder. "Is it good?"

Ranma shut the bag and laughed nervously. "LATER, Mousse."

"What? Why? What is it??"

"Um..."

"Ooh! I know! It's something for me to eat right? Give it here!"

Ranma didn't have a chance of keeping it from him for more than a second. Mousse grabbed the bag from him and turned away to get a good look. Left standing there behind him with red cheeks and a nervous laugh, Ranma backed away from the evil laughter resounding off of the walls when he turned back around with both items in hand.

"Oh...it is something to eat," he smirked wickedly. "And I get to eat them while I watch you in these...oh, what a nice gift!"

Mina looked up and choked on her toast. In his left hand were a bushel of ripe cherries just waiting to be devoured. In his right hand was a bright red thong that looked about a size too small. She giggled hysterically behind her magazine. Ryoga was a pervert at heart but this was a bit much!

"Mousse....can you please...put those away?" Ranma muttered under very bright cheeks. "Please??"

"Hmm....all right. But I'm framing _**these**_," he said waving the cherries, "and eating these later," he grinned waving the thong.

"....all right."

"Hmm?! What was that??"

"I said all right."

Mousse canted a careful brow in his direction. Ranma simply avoided the questioning gaze and put to rest the wonder as he pressed himself against his love. It was almost as if they had come home from that photo shoot again. Things were hot and heavy, and if there wasn't a cold front soon, they were going to die from the heat. Mousse certainly didn't mind it. Nor did he mind Ranma's lips feasting on the underside of his chin. He all but groaned aloud as his fingers slipped into the beginnings of his pants, gently tugging at his soft trail of hair leading to an obvious arousal.

"Damn...you are a tease," Mousse murmured in disbelief.

"Am I?" Ranma smirked. "Something to think about...because you aren't getting anything else before."

"What!?"

* * *

_**Somewhere on the beach...**_

The waves of fate were crashing against them as the sea did the shoreline every moment it rippled. The seas were never calm forever, just like life. There were moments that were peaceful, and then there were moments were Chaos had no problem with infecting everyone with its seed. Last night had been clear evidence of that and they had a meddling human girl to thank for it. He grumbled thinking about it and what the outcome had been. In the end Ranma was exhausted of an energy he wasn't aware of, Mousse was madder than he had ever been, and the others may have finally gotten a clue when it came to their relationship. Well the last part wasn't so bad, but did it take a glimpse of jealousy for mortals to see the ugly side of the human mind?

Hadn't he warned her that night? Hadn't he specifically warned her about her meddling in their affairs?! She could have been cooked yesterday, but it didn't seem to phase her in the least! At least not in the respect one would have thought. Instead of wondering how the hell she was going to make up for all she had done, she was moping around the house almost like she were Ranma himself! It was amazing at what jealousy could do to a mortal, especially the females. It was times like these where he was glad that he was a male. He didn't have to put up with all the hormones looking to kill him and everyone around him.

"Why can't she just admit it?" he sighed. "Instead of all this moping about...she could just say she's fucking jealous and put everyone at ease...but no," he grumbled. "She just has to be hard headed and not listen to a damned word I say!"

"She is rather stubborn," someone sighed. "Too stubborn."

"Huh?"

He turned about to see another one of Ranma's arranged marriages gone bad walk up to him in an actual bathing suit. It was hard to believe, but Ukyo looked much better than most of the girls he had seen in his lifetime. Maybe it was because she was always hiding that body of hers...or maybe it was because she was hiding that tail he had failed to notice. He eyed it and then her grinning at him from ear to ear.

"You're not the only one with secrets," she giggled.

"Yeah yeah..." he sighed. "What family do you belong to?"

"I'm part nymph. What are you?"

"Can't say. Not now anyway."

"So...the gates are opening after all huh? I suppose it has something to do with Mousse?"

"You said it not me."

"Well then...Ryoga...do you think, shell ever admit it?"

Ryoga shook his head. "No...too proud...can I ask you a question?"

"Okay."

"....Do you still have feelings for Ranma?"

"...yes, but I need to get over it. He cares about me...but he doesn't love me the way I had hoped. He loves Mousse."

Ryoga's eyes became dinner plates. "WHAT?!!?"

"Don't tell me you haven't figured it out..." Ukyo sighed.

Ryoga kept his gaze on the seemingly endless ocean. "Actually...I'm the one who made sure they were together...and stuck together. Well, my cousin and I anyhow."

"You?!"

"Yes. Problem?"

"No...no problem. I'm just glad it's not Akane."

"You're okay with it?"

"Yeah...I saw it when Ranma defended Mousse like that. He never does that for anyone, unless--anyway, I'm calling off our engagement," she sighed smiling lightly. "He deserves a little happiness for once."

Ryoga eyed her for a moment. "And you're not even upset that he's gay?" he droned.

"What?! No! I'm open minded. I kind of...suspected. You two seem to have history."

"It was a long time ago. We experimented," Ryoga said. "It wasn't love...but it was a lot of fun. I just look out for him every now and again..."

"Thats nice of you. Why is that?"

"Because there's something between them...that can't be destroyed again. If it is...then we are ALL doomed to an existence were something close to a God will reign and no one will be free. Not the sun...not the skies...not even the air we breathe."

* * *

_**In the Summer house:**_

"Get away from the door!" She hissed pulling on his ear.

"What? Oh come on!" he pleaded. "I just want to know why it's taking him so long to get dressed!"

"He's not coming with us..."

"Huh why not?"

"Because Ryoga and I want them to...you know. That thing You and Shuichi do all throughout the long ours of the night..."

"Huh?!"

"Sex you pea brain!"

"Kisho...come on..." Shuichi slipped between them only to pull Kisho into a heated kiss that ended in the stairwell. Mina secretly thanked whatever Gods were up there for sending Shuichi to her. He'd definitely keep Kisho busy for the rest of the day.

* * *

Ranma sat on the bed with his legs crossed, dressed in nothing but his usual shorts and tank top. He'd rumpled his shirt from fidgeting so much from his nerves. This was ridiculous! They'd done other things to each other before, but nothing so serious. Maybe that's why he was a bundle of nerves. Because they were going to take the next step.

Physically or emotionally was the question. Mousse had said he'd wanted to marry him and has proved on one too many occasions how much he loved him. But going to this level of intimacy was something new. He sighed groaning inwardly.

He hated being a Virgin!

Eighteen, unmarried, four fiances and engaged to his boyfriend. How sad could life get?

He was going to give him something precious and what was he getting out of it. The whole thing confused him but the major question was, "What's gonna happen after we have sex?" he murmured fearfully.

In his hand he held the ends of his shirt, starting to twist it up again. He was about to get up and pace but the the door opened from the outside. He gulped quietly, watching as Mousse walked into the room in his swimming trunks, having come back from practicing for the last hour. Ranma gave him a nervous grin as Mousse moved to sit next to him.

"You ready for lunch?" Ranma asked.

"Mmm hmm..." Mousse sighed playfully nuzzling the side of Ranma's neck. "But are you ready? I'm perfectly fine if you just want to stop now..."

"Yeah...I mean no! I mean..."

"Yeah. What is it?"

"Its kind of embarrassing..."

"I'm listening..."

"Im still a virgin. Ive never really done anything sexual before in my life except...you know...and what we did...and..."

Mousse shushed him, running his fingers along his bare skin. Ranma shivered under the gentle kisses along his shoulder, moaning when Mousse let his tongue get a taste for his braided boy. His hand moved underneath Ranma's shirt and pressed against the heated skin, smiling at the way he arched into his touch.

"We don't have to do this..." he breathed into his ear. "We can stop whenever..."

Ranma shook his head. "No. I want you to make love to me...just go easy on me, okay?"

Mousse moved his face over until his lips brushed against soft puckered flesh. He grinned when he latched his arms around his neck and pushed him back until they were both on the bed. Ranma kept his eyes closed, as his lips were attacked by Mousse's hungry ones. Soon enough his mouth was being raped of everything with a sweetness he had never really felt before. This was different from their past kisses, much different. There was the same love within them, but now there was a certain tenderness to it, a sweet touch that made him yearn a little more.

Ranma reveled in his powerful grip. How could he be so strong and so gentle? He moaned softly, feeling excited hands run along his backside and under his shirt. Was he really going to do this? He swallowed the lump in his throat and moaned again under Mousse's fevering kisses.

Slowly working his way up to his goal, he felt Ranma's ache come to life underneath him. He pushed down and up once, but it was enough to hear a cry escape Ranma's lips. His very smell was enough to drive him mad with desire, but he kept himself under control not wanting to frighten him. This was their first time. He wanted to make it memorable. He released his lips and trailed his kisses from his jaw to his neck and shoulders. He paused in the hollow of his neck, dipping his tongue into the crevice to get another taste of him. He licked his lips swallowing Ranma's essence and blossomed off of Ranma's slight whimpers.

The heat from the day made their bodies sweat faster as he urged Ranma up, slipping a hand under his top. Moaning a bit, he opened his eyes as his chest was exposed from its cloth prison. Mousse's eyes darkened at the sight that attracted his lips to it. Ranma watched as his mouth descended and his lips wet themselves only to send fire through his senses as his nipple was captured. His top was removed by soft hands that coaxed him to lay back.

He had never been this close to anyone else before and he had a feeling he never would. Mousse was taking a part of him, something he had refused to share with anyone before he had stolen his heart. He sighed as Mousse's hands caressed him and made his skin tingle with a fiery infatuation he just couldn't place.

"Mousse...why do I feel so...good?"

"Because I'm loving you...every part of you..."

Here he was--naked lying on the soft sheet of the bed and in front of Mousse. Their clothes had been thrown aside whilst Mousse's insatiable mouth was devouring Ranma's heated skin. Ranma was breathing in the scent they were giving off and wondered why Mousse gave off this foreign sensitivity. Maybe because he was just that. An exotic lover.

He wasnt sure if this was such a good idea but it was too late to back down now. For a while now, Mousse had been pushing at this type of foreplay and they had come close to this point many times before. Today he had given into it. His palms were soaked with nervousness and his breath was quick and uneasy. Mousse saw this and gave him a understanding smile before crawling up to confront him.

"You all right with this?" he asked. "We could do it...the other way now...and this way later."

"Im just a little nervous..." he sighed. "We've never...gone this far."

"Relax Ranma...just relax...and let me handle it..."

"...Mousse..."

"Relax..." Mousse whispered.

Ranma closed his eyes as Mousse got close, tilting his head a bit when his lips were embraced in a lustful kiss. It was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, yet pleasurable. His stomach had been flipping non stop.

He soon found himself in Mousses embrace. He tainted Ranma with gentle butterfly kisses and trailed down to his neck once more. He moaned softly into the air from the tingling sensitivity Mousses kisses left behind and let out a soft gasp as Mousses hand rolled over and cupped his heavy sac gently.

Ranma could feel the heat rising up in his belly and groaned as the already hard shaft pulsed with new blood. Mousse let go after a minute and lapped gently at Ranmas rising and sinking chest with his tongue. He moaned a little louder and longer as Mousses kisses lingered in each spot until he had made his way down to the beginning of his crotch. He kissed it, nibbled at each corner and dipped down between the milky thighs and caressed the warm flesh with an eager tongue.

Ranma nearly went insane as Mousse lapped at his thighs and deliberately ignored what was jutting proudly exposed to the air. He didn't know what to do with his hands or his legs but his fists balled up into the sheets and his toes curled when that teasing tongue lapped at the cherry tip of his erection. He kissed the amazingly warm shaft tenderly over and over, playing around with Ranma until he was a writhing mass of nearly boneless flesh. Ranmas breath quickened at the foreplay from Mousses tongue. He closed his eyes trying to relax as he was masturbated slowly by his prodding tongue. It wasn't working.

Mousse sensed Ranma's tension and slid a hand up to twine their fingers. Ranma gripped his hand and felt the urge to open his legs a little wider. Daring himself to, he opened an eye to see Mousse's head dip down and take him into his mouth. That wet heat--

Ranma opened his legs and arched his back inhaling the air deeply at the mercy of Mousses mouth. Compelled by the pleasure Ranma rocked his hips gently and moaned into the air as his lover formed a cycle of little movements that he had figured would bring Ranma to cum. He wanted to taste him first, to make him his. A tongue running along the underside of the sensitive flesh, tracing circles over the tip when he moved up, it was enough to get a strangled cry out of Ranma. He was trying not to cum.

"Ranma...relax...it's okay baby." Mousse whispered squeezing his hand. "I want to taste you...let me...please?"

Ranma couldnt believe the intense pleasure that Mousse had given him and to hear those words come from his lips was more than enough. He uncurled his toes and leaned back into the pillows as Mousse's lips suckled his tip until he thought he was going to explode. Suddenly Mousse stopped suckling and shoved his tongue into his slit before swallowing him whole.

Ranma cried out when he pushed him over the edge and came into his mouth. He panted against him listening to Mousse drink him fully and opened his legs wider. He thought he'd never stop cumming just having those lips on him. How could anything feel so good?

Mousse suckled gently and let the creamy liquid slide down his throat, unable to keep himself from growing addicted. He was sweet and pure, as all Virgins were before they were taken. He was told this by his first lover and now he had the pleasure of tasting such a truth. He couldn't get enough of it and suckled greedily, until there was no more to drink. Pulling Ranmas flaccid shaft out of his mouth like a lollipop, he lapped it clean smoothly and licked the sides of his mouth with his tongue.

* * *

"I hate him!!" she cried. "Do you hear me?! I hate him!!"

Screaming out at the top of her lungs out into the calling sea, she screamed out her sadness and frustration into the passing wind. She didnt cry, and she didnt laugh; she just screamed until she couldnt scream anymore. She didnt care who heard her or why they heard her, she just wanted to scream but her voice had given out. They wind echoed her voice out in all directions even though she had stopped seconds ago. She was still screaming, screaming for Ranma to come home, for forgiveness, and for peace but she had to hate the other one. She couldnt understand why Mousse had to get all the attention, why Ranma was acting so funny and why she was so jealous. Maybe, she wanted Ranma, for herself.

Still a little tired from that pressure point Cologne had pressed, she fell to her knees, under her fathers watchful eye. He came over to her an knelt down in the sand peacefully. She looked over to him with tear sodden eyes.

"Why cant I just say it?" she cried.

"I really don't know." he sighed. "But I think I know what is wrong between you and he."

"What?"

"You expect too much of him."

"Huh?"

"Youve got to remember that he hasnt had the opportunities and breaks you had. Hes had to learn most of what he knows on his own, and on the road with only his father to guide him. Granted, Saotome is not the best teacher, but he raised Ranma to be who he is, not what you want him to be."

"I understand..."

"And being jealous of Mousse isnt helping anything."

She did a 180 and almost snapped at him. "Jealous?! Who said I was Jealous!? Im not jealous!!"

"Akane..."

"Alright, so I am, but Mousse gets all his attention now and Ryoga too!"

"Then maybe you should tell him that, instead of accusing Mousse of plotting something," he sighed placing a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you should try and see it from his point of view. He has many rivals, and for him to make a friend out of one...that's something no one wants to lose."

"....but why Mousse??" she questioned. "Why not Ryoga?? Or someone else??"

"Ask him. Maybe he will tell you. In the meantime, apologize to Ranma and Mousse if they come over here to. Make it your duty to do so."

"Yes father..."

"Good...now come and eat. Im sure youll feel better after youve had a good meal."

"Ill feel better when I apologize to everyone...if he comes back."

"Hell come back...sooner or later."

Genma snorted from where he stood watching with Cologne. "The boy is better off with Mousse," he murmured. "I should have seen it coming."

"You and I both," Cologne sighed. "What a dilemma..."

* * *

Ranma panted softly and opened his eyes to see Mousse on his hands and knees hovering over him with a lustful smile. He lowered himself down and kissed him deeply and Ranma moaned into it as Mousse rocked his hardened shaft against him.

Tasting himself was new, but Mousse mixed with it made it an ambrosia he wanted more of. Mousse took it away from him to look into his eyes. Ranma cocked his head a bit on the pillow, staring up at him. Mousse wanted to know if it was alright. The braided Martial artist spread his legs for him, watching as Mousse fell back on his knees to watch.

Ranma's hands moved over his glistening flesh, down to his thighs and rubbing over his penis, already becoming erect for a second round. He paused and reached for Mousse's hand. Mousse gave it to him and sucked in his air as Ranma began to suck on his fingers, coating them with a lot of his saliva. Mousse reluctantly broke contact, only to move between his legs and dip one finger in.

"Relax for me Ranma..." he said when he Felt Ranma shudder. He dared not place another finger inside of him until he was relaxed and stretched enough to tolerate it. Ranma shifted as Mousse's fingers explored the regions of his virgin entrance slowly searching for something.

Ranma nearly jumped off the bed as sparks flew from behind his eyes. Mousse slid in, kissing his thighs and held his gaze. Ranma's face was flushed, eyes darkened with lust and his body was calling to him. Calling for him for their Union. Sliding all three fingers out, he moved into position to take him.

At least that's what Ranma thought. He realized too late that Mousse had dove back down and almost screamed in deliria as a certain tongue spread him a little more. Unable to catch his breath from the sudden pleasure, he panted heavily as he loved him, thrusting his tongue in and out of him a little harder with every passing moment. He thought his heart would explode from the sudden rush of blood to his head and his cock and he would have willingly passed out from it. Gentle fingers opened him up a little more, giving way to more of him for Mousse's tongue to ravish.

"Aaah! Mousse...please..."

He didn't have to look to know Ranma was about to explode. He could smell it on him and feel it as his hand gripped him tightly at the base of his shaft. He shuddered as the wet tool was removed from his entrance but cried out as he was probed yet again by three slick fingers. They quickly found his prostate, ravaging it unmercifully with tender strokes that drove him crazy with desire. Had it not been for Mousse's need getting the better of him, he might have cum a second time.

Mousse removed his fingers yet again and this time positioned himself at his stretched opening. Ranma sighed at the gentle handling of his body, even as his legs were placed on either side of Mousse's shoulders. He could feel Mousse pressing at his virgin entrance and he swallowed his pounding heart.

"We could stop..." Mousse whispered against his lips. "You don't have to do this to please me...we don't have to."

"I want to. I want you to love me this way..."

He took his lips in the most passionate of kisses, moving himself to slide in. Thankfully while Ranma had been distracted, he'd had the opportunity to slick himself up making his less painful for him. Taking a virgin was one thing, but taking him dry was something different.

His tip was the first to slide into Ranma's hot channel. He kept control of himself, allowing Ranma time to adjust before sliding himself in any further. When he was halfway in, he stilled over the trembling body. He kissed the side his throat, letting his lips linger over the strong pulse of his heart. He inhaled, keeping it together until Ranma was relaxed enough to take him fully.

Ranma choked on his air, being filled like never before. The pain passed quickly but he still couldn't breathe. He was suffocating in Mousse's very presence, just being joined like this. His legs slid down to rest on either side of his waistline, giving him some air but not enough. His ebony haired exotic lover was kissing him again, moving just a little. He moved to meet him letting him know he was alright and that he wanted this just as much.

All he could hear was the sound of his voice merging with Ranma's as he pushed himself inside of him tenderly. His heart was bursting with everything he felt for the boy in his arms. He knew he could never love anyone this much. This kind of a bond was something that only appeared once in a few thousand years, a bond that was easily broken by jealousy and misfortune alike. He breathed softly into his ear and took hold of it as he set up a rhythm. No one, NOTHING, was going to get in the way of this. Ranma was his and his alone...

That's the way it would always be.

Letting out a loud cry as he pleasured him by probing his once virgin entrance, Ranma reached for something to hold and found Mousse's hand twined with his own once again. His long hair dangled over his shoulders swaying in time with their movements, brushing against his taunt nipples and caressing his skin like silk.

How good he felt inside of him, he couldn't describe but his heart was heavy with guilt as he dropped his head backward when Mousse ran his lips down his neck. Nothing he could do could ever take back this moment of sinful bliss when he slipped his tongue into his mouth once more. He wished it could have been in happier circumstances. He knew Mousse felt the same way, just from looking into his eyes. Eyes that wouldn't close or lose their focus.

"Mousse...what's happening...I'm so hot..."

"I don't...know..."

He was lying, but he couldn't really rub two brain cells together at the moment. The heat became intense between them and the air steamier by the second with him thrusting himself into Ranma at the same pace, only it was growing unbearably pleasurable. Every time he was in him, he was set on blissful fire from the inside out. He couldn't stop, even if he wanted to and he knew Ranma wouldn't allow him to stop.

Ranma cried out again both in pleasure and pain. His skin was on fire and the pit of his stomach was flaring but being like this just felt so right. He groaned in yearning as his lover provoked that spot deep within him over and over again, but never once did the pace quicken itself. He loved him, loved him with everything he had to offer and nothing could ever change that. He knew he loved him. He showed it with every tender thrust. Mousse took his lips once more as the fire built itself and engulfed them both.

"Mousse...I'm..."

"I'm with you...I'm with you..."

He cried out with him as he felt his seed spill over his stomach and chest. His tight channel, hot like lava clamped around him pushing him over the edge into oblivion. The seeds of their union came pulsing out of him and up into Ranma, matching him almost perfectly.

The flames surrounding them went wild and flared up when they were lifted into the air by some invisible force. Ranma arched his back as he reached those heights again and panted heavily along with Mousse, who kept thrusting lovingly all the while releasing himself into his channel. Wave after wave of pleasure flew through every corner of their bodies as they kept on. Rings of fire surrounded them as they made sweet love in the air, lingering on the fine line of unbearable.

Ranma opened his mouth and let out a haunting cry, opening his eyes to reveal flames of unknown tales flare behind his pupils. Mousse could feel him giving up everything for him as he let out his roar, his hair flying wildly with energy. They both could feel the heat erupted throughout their bodies while the fires went wild and flew around the room circling them. Something snapped awake in them as they reached orgasm again unaware of the pair of huge eyes watching from the window.

* * *

**_What the hell?!_** Ryoga thought frantically jumping off of the roof.**_ Who knew they could do that so soon?!._**

"I certainly wasn't aware of it." Someone said from below. Their gaze happened upon the fiery skies above, watching the entrails of flame skirting across the flaring clouds. In the distance, they could hear the faint cries of what was to be. Ryoga sighed landing next to her and started off back toward the house.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the house. There's no point in staying. Come on Mina. Shuichi can only keep Kisho busy but for so long."

"Coming!"

"Not like those two. H-hey!"

Ryoga ran for his life as Mina came after him with a water balloon she had been hiding. He knew she was only fooling around, But there was no point of being P-chan and having Akane cuddle him. The girl had a grip!

* * *

After what seemed like and endless world of pleasure and fulfillment, they came back down and landed on the bed softly as their orgasms came to end. The fire stopped and the rings vanished from the air as their auras diminished into nothingness. He tried to keep going but it was too intense. He collapsed on top of him right as he went limp underneath him panting heavily for the next few minutes.

The intensity of it all was something that neither had ever had the privilege of experiencing before. For Ranma, he had never felt a bond like he had with Mousse with anyone. For Mousse, he hadn't experienced a lover that was made to fit him like Ranma. It was something that could not be undone, and would not as long as Mousse could decide that fate. No matter how hard he had to fight, no matter what the circumstances, Ranma would always be his and his alone. He stopped nuzzling the sweet skin beneath him long enough to lift himself and his gaze to look upon Ranma. Ranma met his gaze and fell into a world of pure bliss as a smile graced his lips.

Nothing would take this picture away from him...

"You all right?" Mousse asked softly.

"I'm deliciously tired...and I'm not a virgin anymore...and I'm in your arms. I'd say I was okay."

Mousse pulled himself from Ranma slowly, drawing out moans from both their weary throats. He lay beside him, gathering him into his arms in one gesture and rested his head atop of his. Ranma leaned into him, relieved that the heat had left him, but puzzled as to what had happened.

"Was...that supposed to happen?" he asked.

"What would you say If I told you...I have no clue?"

"I'd say oh well."

"I have no clue."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ranma said lifting himself up. "We were on fire! We were in the air and stuff! Tell me if I'm wrong but I thought when you had sex you stayed on the bed!"

Mousse blinked once then fell into a heap of laughter. Ranma pummeled him with a pillow then landed in his open arms. Sleep was the next thing to call to him.

"I love you Mousse..."

"I love you too."

* * *

**Days later...**

"...youll come and visit me right?" he asked.

"Of course...But you didn't have to walk me home."

"I had to walk you home. Can't let something happen to my beloved..."

"Aw, Mousse...thank you...for everything..."

"It was my pleasure." He waggled his eyebrow suggestively and was rewarded with an embarrassed laugh from Ranma. In the background, Kisho turned to Shuichi who turned to Mina. She was so busy going gaga over the happy couple, she didn't even realized she had dropped part of her appearance. Shuichi tugged on the exposed appendage which quickly disappeared.

"That was my tail!" she hissed.

"And it was showing..." Kisho sighed.

Ranma smiled as Mousse leaned over and kissed him goodbye. He pulled away from him reluctantly, kissing him on the cheek once before he ran for the house.

God! It was so hard for him to just up and let him go like that! Especially without telling him what he needed to know. Yet telling him...was almost as bad as keeping it from him in the first place. He wasn't sure if he wanted to burden him with that by telling him, or letting him find out on his own, which was a little worse. Unsure of what to do at the moment, he turned away from the house and urged the others to follow. Standing here in this heat and trying to think wasn't easy.

"Damn it...I have to tell him today..." he sighed. "Before something happens..."

* * *

"Youre back!!"

"And? Whats the big deal?" Ranma asked. "I was only gone a little over a week, Ryoga."

Ryoga nodded then leaned in so no one could hear him when he said it. "Did you guys have fun while you were alone or what?" He dodged a jab for his face and laughed at Ranma's embarrassed frown.

"...shut up."

"Hey Ryoga whos at the door?" Ukyo asked from behind.

"Its your ex-fianc," Ryoga said.

Ryoga turned around and was kissed on his cheek by Ukyo. Ranma widened his eyes in disbelief and dropped his jaw agape. Ukyo looked over to him even as she put his arms around his waist in a playful manner. Ranma raised an eyebrow and looked between the two.

"Did...I miss something?" Ranma asked walking into the house. "Im gone a week and look what happens!!"

"Um...I can explain," Ryoga said nervously closing the door.

"No need to explain. I understand. Ukyo, Ryoga...sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"You are so Immature!"

"Be quiet. I was only kidding."

"I know...mister busybody..."

"Hey!!"

"You guys really did it!?" Ukyo asked anxiously.

"Huh? Whats she talking about?" Ranma asked.

"I figured it out that day you went ballistic. Ranma, I want to know everything...Ryoga won't spill so you're my last hope!"

Ranma blushed as Ukyo grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him away. Ryoga dropped to the floor in embarrassment.

"Sometimes...I wonder about her," he sighed.

* * *

_**On the beach...**_

He was supposed to be on his way back home, but he couldn't keep it from him anymore. He directed Mina and the others to go without him as he turned back to jog toward the house. They didn't give him much of an argument, seeing that he needed to tell him before the inevitable. They went one way and he another, neither party noticing anything watching them within the shadows.

"It's him..."

The slight hiss of evil lingered a little too long in the air. He stilled and looked back to nothingness, not in the least bit fooled by the false image of calm. He tensed and waited patiently under the sun, hearing nothing more than the crashing waves.

Something, or someone, splashed him from behind. The moment he opened his eyes he was surrounded by shadows, each a demon just awaiting their moment of birth. In the midst of it all was a single body, one he saw through the moment they laid eyes on him.

"You..."

"Why not show yourself to us?" she whispered. "Show us who you really are!"

"I can take you all on, without the demonic side of me," he snarled. "Come on!"

"Maybe you can...but can your lover?"

A loud roar from above kept them from attacking. With their eyes turned to the skies, he charged his emerging horns and wiped out at least a third of them in one blow. Shadows were nothing of a challenge, until they absorbed enough energy to evolve on their own. This batch she had sent was a warning of things to come, but it wasn't enough to hinder him from his intentions.

"Mousse, get going!" Mina cried. "Warn him!!"

Mina, Kisho, and Shuichi rushed the remaining shadows and the image of a woman no one wanted to deal with at the moment. He ran strait for the house, cursing loudly when another batch of shadows emerged to follow him.

* * *

**_In Ranma's room..._**

"So you mean to tell me you figured it out by just looking at me?" Ranma asked again for the fifth time. He shoved his filthy clothes in the hamper then turned back to unpacking his things. When he came across a small box, he blushed and hid them in his pocket. He had forgotten about them after Mousse had suggested it. Just when he had slipped them in his things was still a mystery.

"I'm your best **female** friend. Im supposed know these things...besides, it was just there when you defended him like that," Ukyo answered. "You obviously have strong feelings for him, enough so to stand up to the likes of Akane."

Ranma blushed even brighter. "...well..."

"So anyway...did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?"

"You know...**_it_**..."

Ranma looked to Ryoga. Ryoga just pushed his finger through his fist in a suggestive manner. Ranma choked on his own air looking at Ukyo who was all smiles. "What the hell do you want to know that for?!" he cried.

"Come on! Did it hurt?! Tell me!!"

"Of course it hurts!" Ryoga cried in exasperation. "Why do you want to know so bad?"

"Because I'm curious."

Ranma finished unpacking his things and plopped on the futon next to Ukyo. He crossed his legs and sighed as he looked at his childhood friend. For once he didnt see the same gleam in her eyes that he usually got when Ukyo wanted to know something. He just saw friendship, total and complete friendship toward him and nothing more. He smiled at that.

"Hey, Ukyo..." Ranma started, "Since you and Ryoga are seeing each other, does that mean--"

"First of all, we are **not** going out." Ryoga interrupted. "The girl is too busy trying to hook me up with another guy!"

"Well Ranma can't be the only one around here with some loving," she giggled. "Besides, I think half of your attitude is from not getting laid often enough."

Ryoga grumbled a bit under a smile. "Yeah, you're right about that," he sighed. "I do need to get laid....and badly."

"Hey, Where is everybody anyway? Its just you two?" Ranma asked.

"Yeah," Ryoga said walking further into the room. He sat down on the other side of Ranma leaning against his shoulder. "Everyone else went exploring."

"Except for your dad, whos sleeping in his room." Ukyo added. "As a panda."

"Oh..." he sighed.

"So did you do it as a girl?"

"Hell no!"

"Why not?!"

"Because he's my **boy_friend,_** and I decide what he has the privilege of fucking."

"So I guess kitty is out of the question," Ryoga smirked.

"Can we talk about something else you perverts?" Ukyo asked.

"Takes one to know one!" they snapped.

"So what else did I miss?" Ranma asked. "Besides you finding out?"

"Oh nothing. Akane just admitted she was jealous of Mousse and I getting all the attention from you, Shampoo went ballistic when Ukyo called off the engagement, and Cologne's been eyeing Mousse all week." Ryoga nonchalantly looked at his feet and twirled them back in forth as if he were bored. "That's all."

"Eyeing?! What do mean by that?!"

"Shes been plotting something...but we havent figured out what," Ukyo sighed. "She and your father were talking last night, but we couldn't hear what they were saying. Akane and Shampoo were too busy arguing over something else..."

"My father and Cologne?? Why do I suddenly have this sinking feeling?"

"DAMN IT WOULD YOU JUST DIE ALREADY?!"

Ryoga stiffened at the familiarity of that voice. Ukyo blinked and scrambled off of the bed the moment the sounds of fighting could be heard. Ranma moved a little faster than she did, hopping down the stairs and running strait for the door. Unfortunately it flew open with something inhumane tumbling into the house. Ryoga grabbed it by the neck and snapped it with ease before it could get up again.

"Shit...she sent the shadows..." he hissed. "Ukyo!"

"I'm on it!"

Ranma watched in a mixture of horror and disbelief as Ukyo and Ryoga tossed themselves into the battle. There were an array of distorted images of beings from another realm out there, but it looked as if they were fighting nothing more than shadows of what they were meant to become. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Had the heat gotten to him, or was this just a nightmare in the day?

"Damn it all," someone growled, "I knew this would happen!"

"You left him alone! Of course it would have happened," Ryoga shouted. He knocked another shadow out of its misery and tackled three more into the sands with a snarl. "It never fails!!"

Ranma looked to where Ryoga was shouting at a familiar backside. The horns should have given it away, but he was just too overwhelmed by what he was seeing. It took a flash of red lightning for him to recognize his face through the shock of the events unfurled over the sands. He had never seen him like this...

"Kill them all!!"

...not since that day he had been forced to take that medicine. Without warning he fell to his knees, clearly in shock of what had been uncovered in that moment. It wasn't a curse...it was real! He was a real demon! All this time, he didn't think to question it, but now it made sense. He didn't need hot water to return him to normal, and when he was in cold water half of the time his horns never showed themselves. In fact, they were never there unless he was angry. From what he could tell, he was extremely angry now. But what was all this?! Why were those shadows here??!

"Ranma!! MOVE!!"

Ranma looked up a little too late. A shadow had gotten too close to him and sought to put him out of his misery. Unable to do anything more than stare up at it, he closed his eyes and winced as something snapped.

Was he dead??

"Ranma...Ranma, are you all right?!"

Ranma snapped out of it long enough to see Mousse falling down to his knees. Aside him was Kisho holding the remnants of a shadow that had evolved a little too late. He tossed it to the side and threw himself back into the fight along with the others. Mousse remained where he was, checking Ranma over for any injuries.

"Are you all right??"

".....You...You're a...a---"

"Demon. I know. I was coming back to tell you...but..."

"You should have told me from the start!"

"I know that...and we'll talk later. Right now, we've got to get you inside."

Ranma didn't argue with him. He got to his feet to head back inside but the howling of a wolf made him turn back. Mousse ushered him onward, tearing him away from the sight of a wolf replacing the spot where Ryoga once stood.

"What the hell is going on!?"

* * *

"What?!" she cried. "I don't believe it..."

"Well I don't understand it," Ranma sighed miserably falling back on his bed. "Why me...?"

"I should have known..." Mousse sighed looking to Ryoga. "Are they completely opened?"

"Just enough to allow images and shadows through, nothing more," Ryoga answered.

It had taken them a little longer than a few moments to finish cleaning up the mess that they had caused inadvertently. Ranma stared at the lot of them, still unsure of why he had a variety of demons sitting within his room. There was a human type gazing at the floor intently, trying his damnedest to figure it all out. A shape shifter sat aside him, looking at the Nymph who sighed tiredly. Not too far from them were two Dragoons, and a Dragon half-breed who looked to be as strong as a normal Dragon. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have been surprised, but that Demon was someone he had promised his heart to...

Someone who had lied to him from the very beginning.

"It was bound to happen," Ryoga explained. "She always attacks your lover the moment you have your back turned."

"How could I have let this happen?!" Mousse asked with a shake of his head. "Why won't she just DIE?!"

"If I knew I'd tell you. Does it look like I know?!"

"Chill out you two," Mina said coming between the two. "I know it looks bad...but it's not like we're going to face some evil monster out to destroy just us. It's only evolution...and her desire to be rid of the world as we know it."

"And the whole prophecy bit?" Kisho inquired.

"If you believe in that...you must be mad. Come on! This is not the fifteenth century! She won't win!"

"Ranma...you haven't said a word at all," Mousse murmured.

Ranma opened an eye to glare at him. "What am I supposed to say?!" he snapped. "Shit, Mousse...you try finding out your lover is a demon and that he lied from the very start! Why didn't you say something?!"

"And This means what exactly?"

"That my **_fiance_** is something out of a fairy tale! You lied! You could have said something!"

"And what exactly are you trying to say!?"

"I'm Saying you should have told me!!! Granted I would have been upset...but I would have accepted it. When were you going to tell me? Two minutes before the wedding? _Oh Ranma I forgot to tell you, I'm half demon. I hope you don't mind having little half demon children _Gah! Would My face be red!"

"I couldn't tell you because I wasn't sure if what we have now would last," Mousse explained. "I didn't want to place you in danger!"

"It's a little late for that!! And what do you mean you weren't sure?!"

"Look, I'm supposed to marry the one destined for me. I am a demon from a very long time ago, reborn in a human body destined to await a lover than was taken from me by some bitch I can't even remember! I didn't know that...it would be you...at least not until you were able to channel my energy...without being burned..."

".....what??!"

"It's hard to explain..."

"No its not! You thought of me as a joyride!" Ranma screamed getting to his feet. "I was the last ride before you found your destined! Damn it Mousse, what the hell were you planning on doing if it wasn't me?! What then?!"

"I don't know...I don't know!! Shit Ranma...there's no good way to look at this, but I swear I love you! I always have! I just...didn't want you mixed up in this...I wanted you to be safe, to be happy...not living in fear with a demon who can't even find his own destiny..."

"....you still should have told me..." Ranma sighed turning away from him. "That doesn't change the fact that you lied to me..."

".....I didn't want...I mean..."

"Maybe...you should just leave."

"Yeah...maybe...but I am sorry. Sorrier that it was you now that I've done the one thing I didn't want to do..."

".....what?"

"The fact is...I hurt you. There's no forgiveness in what I've done. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I am sorry you're in the middle of this now. You know where I'll be....if you want to talk."

Mousse turned to leave, ignoring the soft sobbing from Ranma. Had it not been for the sudden slam of another door, he might have made it out of the house.

"Ukyo!! Ryoga!! Mr. Saotome!! Were home!!"

Everyone exchanged glances.

"Oh no...It's Akane!!! what do we do!?" Ukyo cried.

"What do you mean what do we do?!" Ranma cried.

"Look at us! We're things out of a fairytale at the moment! She always comes up here to see if you had come home first!! What's she gonna say when she sees us!?"

"Ukyo? Ryoga? Where are you?" Akane called.

Ranma and Ukyo panicked as the door to his room opened slowly. Everyone hid behind Ranma or at least tried to but fell out on the floor when the door opened to reveal a curious Akane.

"Ranma??"

Ranma laughed nervously and waved along with everyone else. Mousse, only inches from the door, frowned at the girl. Just his luck.

"What is going on?!" Akane cried. "Who are these people?"

"Don't you recognize us?" Ryoga asked raising an eyebrow. "I'm Ryoga, and that's Mousse."

Mousse huffed.

"And those three over there are--"

"Hello Akane," Mina interrupted. "Having a nice summer?"

"You could say that..." Akane said eyeing Mousse.

Ranma felt his heart drop into his stomach. He knew this was going to happen. Something was going to screw everything up and everything was going to go down the drain. He'd worked to hard for this relationship to stay stable and the last thing he needed was his chosen fiance battling it out with his arranged fiance. Ranma buried his head into his right hand and just barely resisted screaming.

"Ranma..."

"There are too many people in here," he said quietly. "I want everyone to leave except Mousse and Akane."

Ryoga and Mina exchanged worrisome looks but left quietly. Kisho threw a weary glance Akane's way, but left with Shuichi on his heels. Ukyo was the last to leave, closing the door quietly.

Mousse sat on a nearby Trunk, huffing his unhappiness with being stuck in the same Room with Akane. Akane wasn't any happier as she sat herself in the chair by the small desk. Ranma didn't look at either one of them.

"So What's wrong Ranma? You want me to pound this jerk?" Akane asked.

"The only one who needs to be pounded is you," Mousse snapped. "If you had minded your own business, none of this would have happened!!"

"What are you saying?!"

"Don't even start!" Ranma cried. "You two are always at each other's throats! Can't you have a civilized conversation or sit in the same room without trying to claw each other's eyes out?!"

They were seething as they eyed the other. "NO we can't!"

"Then You're going to have to learn! I'm not going to sit here and watch you two fight."

Mousse sighed and did his best to adhere to Ranma's wishes. Despite the fact that he was still angry at him, it wouldn't do to make him even madder than he was. Akane seemed to sense this and calmed herself long enough to do as she was asked all those nights ago.

"Ranma...I...just wanted to apologize to you before..." Akane sighed. "For the way Ive been acting...and I owe you an apology Mousse...because frankly...I was jealous of all the attention you were getting from Ranma..."

Mousse nearly died at Akane's words. "You...were jealous of me?!" Mousse said in disbelief. "Unreal! Ryoga was right _**again**_!"

Ranma sighed turning his head to look out the window, displaying the faint bruise under his eye. Mousse had almost forgotten about that night--the way he'd had to place ice on it for almost an hour with that ointment Ranma had come to hate. He still had it in his pants pocket. Then there was the added fact that he had to cut their palms before hand to prove just how serious he was about this. His scar ached in remembrance of that moment, hating the fact that he had hurt him despite his intentions of keeping him safe. All he wanted was for Ranma to know a few moments where he wasn't being hurt physically, mentally, or emotionally.

Yet it seemed that he could not even protect him from his own stupidity.

"Ranma...I was wrong," he sighed. "I should have told you...but I didn't. There is no excuse for it."

"....but I understand..." Ranma said softly.

"There's something else to discuss here, however..."

"Hmm? What are you talking about Mousse?"

"Ranma...you should know better than anyone what I'm talking about." He hopped off of the trunk and walked over to him. Ranma winced as Mousse made to touch the healing bruise under his eye. "I haven't touched you."

"But..."

"It still hurts...doesn't it."

"What are you guys talking about?" Akane asked.

"We're talking about the many bruises and cuts that Ranma's gotten because of your temper," Mousse explained quietly. "He's still a beautiful man...but being broken spiritually, makes him that much more fragile."

"My Temper?"

Mousse's fingers moved along Ranma's fair skin never once breaking eye contact with the boy in front of him. Ranma let go of his the crystal, letting it fall over his beating heart. "Why...would you hurt someone like this?" Mousse whispered, letting a tear fall from his own eyes. "Ranma, I'm so sorry..."

Ranma wiped away his tears, smiling as he kissed his left palm. The ring was still there, eagerly awaiting its companion. That was something that would never change, despite their arguments and their unhappiness. They had been through too much to just throw it all away.

Whether she noticed it or not, Akane remained where she stood. "I didn't mean to hit you Ranma...I'm sorry...really sorry..." Akane said sincerely. She hoped he would accept her apology. Slight hope fluttered in her stomach as he turned to face her. Did he accept?

"Were you practicing that apology?" Ranma asked suddenly. "Because I know you would have been crying if you hadnt practiced that."

"How do you know?" Akane asked a little hurt he hadn't just said he accepted it.

"I pay attention to you...just when youre not looking or too busy to notice. When you havent practiced what you were going to say, you stutter a lot and you sometimes cry. It looks like you were crying for two days at least..."

"...unbelievable..."

"I'm not stupid Akane. I know you too well. Well be arguing in a weeks time. Nothings changed... nothing is going to change...but can we at least try to get along? Can you and Mousse try to get along for my sanity?"

"I'll try..."

"Thank-you...and Im sorry for not paying enough attention to you."

Akane turned to leave when Ranma fell on his side holding himself. Something was going on between Mousse and her fianc, but she couldn't place it. She slipped out of his room and into the hallway but not before she heard it.

"Mousse...why??"

"...When I found out that you...were the one...I didn't want to place you in the middle of a battle you didn't have to fight. This goes back further than you know...much further, and there are things that I don't want anyone I care about to see. Please forgive me...for deceiving you..."

"...don't hide anything else from me, okay? I don't think I can take it..."

"I love you Ranma. I never meant to hurt you..."

"I know...and I love you, too. Just hold Me. Please?"

Curiosity caught her by the reigns and she was pulled to the door in time to see the Chinese Amazon lean down and press his lips to Ranma's.

* * *

Kat: *screams*

Brad: What are you screaming for?!

Kat: What am I going to do for the next part?! You know how the original story goes...

Amber: Then do it again love.

Kat: I'm tired of making kids.

Rick: How about a blood bath?

Kat: That could work!

*owari*


	7. Finding out

And we're back with another update! This will have to last you about...a month. Yeah. Currently working on other projects!

**Guys:** remember, feedback is appreciated!

Unless...you have nothing positive to say. THEN you can keep it to yourself. :)

Onward!!

* * *

**Part 7:**

Green Flames of Envy

* * *

It wasn't true. It just wasn't true! She shook her head yet again to deny as if the memory was nothing more than a dream but it played itself over and over in the back of her mind. The little touches, the glimpses, even the way they moved around the other was a tell tale sign of what she had seen for herself. Especially now, spying on them through open eyes as if she were still the same old Akane.

"Is there something you want Akane?"

She blinked and snapped out of her slight daze. "Huh? What did you say?"

"You've been standing there for the past fifteen minutes...are you okay?"

"What...makes you say that?"

"Oh I don't know...you standing there with glazed eyes wasn't enough of a sign."

"I'm fine Nabiki. Really."

Right. The middle Tendo girl didn't buy it, even as her sister went back to her wandering about as if she were a phantom. Something serious was on that girl's mind but what it was, no one knew. Had she been born a mind reader, she might have known what lie ahead of them. Alas, fate didn't play that card, so she went back to flipping through he text books.

Nearby, Ranma sat near Mousse, his head on his arms, resting on the table. Mousse leaned on his elbows, talking to his lover about nothing in particular; mostly what came to mind as they usually did. Ryoga and Ukyo sat near them, ignoring them for the time being, more focused on what Ryoga was reading from the states. Two weeks ago, they had come back to Nerima and only a day after did they learn Mina was going to the states for college. A week after, she had left with her brother and his friend during the day which had everyone crying at some point.

At least that was the story. In reality she was going to further investigate the location of another possible gateway into the demon realm. If there was a way to get in, perhaps there was a way to place an end to it all without a major fight in the human realm.

"I can't believe she wrote you a letter in only a week..." Ukyo said.

"I know. I thought it'd be a few weeks at least..." Ryoga sighed. "I'll have to write back to her later."

"Write back to who?" Mousse asked.

"Mina."

"She sent a letter??" Ranma asked sitting up. "What'd she say??"

"The usual...she misses us, hopes we're well...invited herself to your wedding..."

"My what?!"

"She got wind of the crystal and called bridesmaid before I could."

"I just love the way you guys do that."

"Oh stop it and take it like a man."

Ranma stuck his tongue out but it was put to better use when Mousse took the initiative and kissed him senseless. Ryoga gagged playfully, sending Ukyo into a fit of giggles. They went unnoticed by the world about them, save one set of curious eyes slanting into an angry glare that could kill if it had that gift. Ever since that day she peered through that damned door, she had wished for a chance to take away from Mousse what he had managed to achieve in days rather than years as it had for her. She still had no results from it.

"Akane...would you please be a dear and run an errand for me?"

"Run it your own damn self!" She snapped, not caring if it was Kasumi or not. Kasumi frowned, taking on a look rarely seen in her frame and it it did it's job; Akane immediately regretted what she had said. "Sorry...Kasumi."

"Akane...I don't know what is wrong with you but you had better get a grip on reality." Nabiki warned from where she sat. "If you don't, you're going to do something you're going to regret and can't take back."

The last Tendo sister glared behind her shameful appearance. How could Nabiki know what she was feeling; what she was going through?! She had no clue of what her supposed fianc was doing behind their backs; going around and engaging in a sinful act with his enemy! No, it just simply wouldn't do for it to continue. She swore mentally in her mind and excused herself from their sights.

"What was that all about?" Ukyo murmured.

"I don't know, but I don't like the way she was looking at those two." Ryoga sighed. "We'd better keep an eye on her..."

"Easier said than done."

"So you guys want to do something tonight?" Ryoga asked. "I personally don't want to be stuck in here."

"Ryoga's right." Ukyo exclaimed. "It's the summer, and we're all old enough to actually enjoy ourselves! Let's go to the club tonight."

"Jeez, it's been a while since we've been there." Ranma sighed. "A long time...you think they'll remember us?"

Mousse took the opportunity to laugh. "Do you really think they'd forget?! Ranma...we were practically doing it on the floor..."

"That's because that bitch thought she could put her hands all over you and get away with it."

"Ahh that's my love." Mousse cried dramatically pulling Ranma to be close in his arms. "He'll kick any bitch's ass if they dare defile my honor with their slut hands! How I love him so!"

"Ha ha. Very funny Mousse."

"What? Was it something I said?"

"Alright enough foreplay." Ryoga exclaimed. "Look, it's millennium night there. You know, techno, frequency...new gear, ya know? Are we in or are we out?"

"I'm definitely in." Ukyo said. "But what about you two? In or out?"

Ranma, still in his playfully mood, took it into careful consideration until one Mousse thoroughly convinced him in the best way he knew how. He kissed him, long and sweetly for an untold time, until Ranma found the strength to break away from his beloved and answer with a gasp for air. "We're in..."

"Great! Let's meet back here in a half hour. Remember, new gear! Look millennium!"

* * *

It was still the bewitching hour of six; as if dawn and evening had taken on the same look and grace the day at this time every chance it could. The only thing singular about this evening was the simple fact that tonight they were doing something as young adults for a change, and not some prepubescent adolescents trying to find fun where they weren't allowed. He snorted in his amusement, looking to where his lover had disappeared only minutes ago. He'd been around him too long; long enough to use words that didn't apply to the world of the modern teenager engulfed in their angst and heavy music their only way of escaping. Still, everyone went through it.

But he had to wonder silently; was Akane going through it?

"Going somewhere?" she asked, standing there in his doorway with her arms crossed over her developed body. She had grown, very much so in the past years he had been here. Far different from the girl built as a brick and the fist of a wild mule beckoning to knock him out. Did she even realize how much she had changed; how much **they** had changed? "Well?"

"Yeah. Mousse and I were going out to the Time Line club downtown," he answered. "It's been a while since any of us has had any type of fun..."

"I see...so it's just you and Mousse?"

"No, Ukyo and Ryoga are coming with us...did you want to..."

"No! No...I'm going out with some of my other friends."

"Oh. So did you want something or...what?"

"Actually...I...came to get the laundry...Kasumi asked me to..."

"Yeah, um...over there in the corner."

Akane moved silently over to where the laundry lay in a bundle wrapping in a bag, twitching her nose upward in disgust when she noticed the sheets were amongst the debris. What he had been doing to get those sheets dirty, she didn't even want to think of, let alone imagine in the presence of Ranma at the moment. Her back turned to him, she didn't notice as Mousse came back into the room, glaring from distance. He turned to Ranma who shrugged and shook his head.

"You have so much Laundry Ranma..." she murmured. "Haven't you ever heard of wearing things twice? What do you do, change every five minutes? Where did all these clothes come from?"

"They're gifts...from the likes of me." Mousse answered, startling her into dropping the clothes back onto the floor. Mousse bowed slightly with a small grin of satisfaction in his eyes, even if she didn't return the same greeting. "Evening."

"You...didn't have to scare me like that!"

"I apologize, but I thought you'd like to know where those clothes came from. I've told you. Are you satisfied?"

"If that's the case, why don't you clean them?! You seem to like buying them for him!"

"Please...I don't want to get into it tonight. We're going out to get rid of that burden and all its stressful side effects like tension...you're free to come if you like."

"Thanks but no thanks. I've already got plans."

The response was a little more than short of crass, but it was accepted as the Tendo girl left the room with the laundry lugged over her shoulder with a growl. Ranma simply shook his head in dejection. She had changed, perhaps on the outside, but the inside was a completely different matter.

"I'm sorry Ranma..."

"No...don't be. Something's bothering her still."

"You think so?"

"I know so...being in this house, you learn to read people as they truly are."

"Ah...so what am I?"

"A curious loving man who has my heart...what else can you be?"

"Lots of things my dear Ranma...our lives are just beginning...believe me, I will own those boxers tonight!"

Ranma laughed, yelping as Mousse drew him off the floor to be lifted so that he sat straddled against his waist. His arms came to rest around his lover's neck, laughing quietly as those hands occupied themselves with teasing his ass. He didn't need much coaxing to kiss Mousse softly in the dimming light of the evening, right in the sights of a hidden Akane, standing behind the door with nothing but a slit to look through. It was enough to show her once again, of how this man had stolen her fianc right from underneath her nose.

"Do you love me?"

"Only if you love me...my demonic darling," Ranma cooed.

"Then I guess you love me, because I certainly love you..."

Enough to tell her, she needed to be at that club tonight.

* * *

His hair hung over his weary liquid brown eyes, and over the dark blue bandana he chose to wear instead of his usual yellow printed one. Ryoga was dressed to kill in the open oversized black jersey he had gotten as a gift from Mina. He wore nothing but a white wife-beater beneath it, tucked into his oversized denim blue jeans that were rolled up to cuff around the timberlands he had bought during a trip in America. He wore a silver cross around his neck that hung just above the point where his pectorals began, shimmering in the light as he moved closer to Ukyo.

Ukyo sighed, brushing back her bangs apart from the ponytail she had pulled her hair into. She was dressed in a blue baby t-shirt, that showed off a good portion of her cleavage. Her belly was as bare as bare could be until the point below her navel, where her oversized black cargo pants hung; strung up to hang off her hips and bunch around her new sneakers. She wore a pair of small ball earrings in her ear and the navel ring was another touch that was sure to surprise the others.

"What time is it now?"

"Late..."

Ukyo and Ryoga stood downstairs, waiting for the couple to come down from their room. The half hour had come and gone, quickly becoming an hour by the look of the clock. Ryoga neatly rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest, well aware of how those two could be longer than they said because of certain activities. Ukyo found it quite amusing, yet she hadn't the nerve to go up there and put a stop to it. She was embarrassed enough as it was with a single mention of the word sex.

"How long does it take to suck a guy off?" Ryoga grumbled. "Jeez they are taking their sweet time."

"They'll be down shortly...I'm sure they're just getting ready."

It wasn't Ukyo who had said that. Ryoga turned his head to find Akane leaning against the wall; her own arms were crossed over her chest. She stayed where she was at, even as he moved away from her slightly, not sure of the off feeling he was receiving.

"Going out?"

"Yeah...we're going to a club down town..."

"I know. Ranma mentioned it."

"To you?! I mean, not that he shouldn't but uh..."

"Yeah he did..."

"So are you coming with Akane or are you sticking around?" Ukyo questioned with her hand on her bare hips. "You might actually have a good time."

"I have other plans," was her excuse. Ukyo waved it off and didn't bother to question her motives, while Ryoga studied her carefully. There was something that was still slightly off about the whole situation, but he still couldn't place a finger on it.

All eyes fell on the staircase when the sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs reached their ears. They weren't the least surprised to find it to be Ranma and Mousse, together no less, but what they were wearing was a total shock.

Mousse had pulled his long hair back into a ponytail, opting to let it hang down his back along side the oversized white baseball jersey with the logo of the store he had bought it from gracing the back of it. He wore a platinum watch on his left wrist and a platinum chain around his neck, adding to the exotic foreign look he was going for. His black denim pants were loose and baggy, not enough so that they would fall every five minutes, and on his feet were the latest sneakers off the market.

Aside him, blushing a bit from the gaping jaws, stood Ranma, with his hair in a slightly longer ponytail than he usually was known to have and with crimson highlights decorating his bangs. He too, wore a jersey, yet it was a nice red, and open to reveal the sheer black muscle shirt he opted to wear. He wore no jewelry, save the crimson colored crystal lying on the middle of his chest and the white gold ring on his left hand; those he never took off. His pants were black denim as well, only not as loose as Mousse's pants happened to be. As for his sneakers, they were brand new as well.

"Wow! You guys look great! Almost American..." Ukyo awed. "Where did you get the gear?!"

"We scrapped up some money and bought them." Ranma explained. "I wouldn't let him buy it for me this time."

"So does that mean..."

"I have a part time job at the doctor's place. He pays me quite well for running errands and stuff. Plus, ya know...the thing."

"Oh right, the thing!"

"What thing?" Akane asked. "And when did you get a job at Doctor Tofu's place?"

"He's had it for the last few weeks." Genma exclaimed proudly as he walked by. "My boy's finally thinking about the future and has decided to get a job and save for the future!"

"My future in getting out of here," Ranma mumbled.

"So shall we get going?" Ryoga asked. "You know, earlier we get there, less line there will be?! Get my drift?!"

"I totally forgot about the lines!! Agh come on before we're stuck behind the losers!"

Ranma grabbed Mousse's hand and ran strait out of the door with Ryoga and Ukyo in tow, leaving Akane behind without so much as a goodbye. They failed to notice the evil glimmer in her eyes as she spied her friends coming up the walkway, barely avoiding the leaping martial artists making their way to the club.

"Where are they going in such a hurry?" one asked. "Hey Akane, do you know where they are going?"

"Exactly where we're going ...change of plans guys."

"So you're finally going to nail Ranma on the dance floor?! Akane that's great!"

**_Yeah...I'm going to nail him alright...right in the head for humiliating me! Ranma, you are so dead._**

* * *

**_TimeLine outside; 10:34 p.m._**

"Jeez, look at the line!"

"I know...maybe we'll get in, in an hour."

"An hour?! That's way too long to be waiting outside! It's still as bad to get in as I remember!"

"Wait, how did we get in last time?"

"If I remember correctly, we just stood here and..."

"HEY! It's you guys!" A voice cried out. "Oh wow it's been a long time!"

Ranma turned his head toward the voice only to grin in triumph when it was the bouncer calling to them. They knew the bouncer from their days in school, plus they were once considered VIP's in this place the last time they had come here. Mousse met the bouncer with a firm hand grip from behind Ranma, while Ryoga and Ukyo chose to wave rather than tackle with that hand of his. He had a pretty strong grip, considering the time he had tossed five guys out with only one arm.

"Hey guys! What, I don't get no love?!"

"When you ease up on that grip my man." Ryoga exclaimed. "Granted, I'm strong, but you could bruise an ox with that hand of yours. How do you do it Mousse?!"

"Mind over matter." he answered. "That, and being able to take anything since I'm not completely human, remember?"

"Aye! Shit, I forgot about that."

"So what are you guys doing out here with these guys?" The bouncer asked. "Don't you know? They can't get in because they have records of not paying their tabs. You shouldn't be seen here or else you might get confused for a booze hound."

"So where *do* we go?" Ukyo smirked.

"Where else? In the club!"

* * *

**_TimeLine Inside; 11:45p.m._**

It didn't take her long to get to the club, and even less time to get in. The bouncer seemed to have an acute fear of her, and so did everyone else who knew about her temper. It was disturbing somewhat to be known for such a thing but it had its benefits, like getting into this place for one. Her friends had wasted no time in getting to the dance floor to catch some of the action going on in the center of it, a place everyone seemed to have their eyes focused on. Curiosity, as before, got a hold of her for those seconds she wasn't concentrating on the task at hand, and she looked to the center, much to her heart's regret.

"Hey, look at those two go!" someone screamed. "They're awesome!"

"You should have seen them the last time they were here!" Another shouted. "They looked like pure sex!"

"Really?!"

"Just watch!"

Akane took that loud advice and watched from the railings where she had wandered in search of them. She should have started where all the commotion was when they had first entered, for there, dead center in the middle of the floor was Ranma and--

"Ryoga??!"

They way they danced so close, it was as if the were joined at the hip. It was a fast song, hence the reason they were gyrating their hips so quickly, but did they have to dance so close? She watched and peered a bit closer.

"Are those his hands on his ass?!"

The music changed, and with it so did the duo. Ryoga excused himself and left to dance with Ukyo next while the main attraction moved in for the kill. Ranma wasted no time in getting close to his lover just as the word to the song filled their veins with the pure urge to move as if they were one.

**_Closer..._**

**_Closer..._**

**_Closer..._**

**_Closer...Whoo!_**

It was as if that was their cue to draw all eyes on them. Ranma stood perfectly still; Mousse's hand sat resting upon the crystal he had given him in the beginning of the summer. He smiled, not minding the cat calls they were drawing from their spectators as Mousse took hold of him by the belt loops of his pants to draw their groins together. He started the cycle, moving their hips around in a sensuous circle that had every one screaming. They had no idea.

It was only the beginning.

**_Turn the lights off in this place  
And she shines just like a star  
And I swear I know her face  
I just don't know who you are_**

Ranma moved in time with Mousse, not noticing the red emitting from his hands when they took a hold of his lover's. They moved backward in time to the music, lost in each other and the words to the song. Ranma took a moment to break away from Mousse, flipping backward and landing with his hands beckoning for his lover to come to him.

**_Turn the music up in here  
I still hear her loud and clear  
Like she's right there in my ear  
Telling me that she wants to_**

**_Own me..._**

"I can't stay away from you even if I tried," Mousse murmured.

**_To Control me..._**

Ranma beckoned him closer with no more than a look.

**_Come closer..._**

He was there and against him, driving him down to the floor and up again, breathing in the gasp from his lips when the heat took hold.

**_Come closer..._**

As they fell into their routine, they failed to notice the girl that had approached them in the short beginnings of the song still playing. She had gotten close enough to see the two up close, and to also see the pure expression of freedom reigning clear as day in their eyes.

**_And I just can't pull myself away_**

**_Under a spell I can't break_**

**_I just can't stop....I just can't stop...._**

**_I just can't stop....I just can't stop...._**

There was no stopping this. Not now. He was his, and only his, for all eyes to see but never to touch. He grinned against him, spinning him around to press himself and his arousal against his backside curling into him.

**_And I just can't free myself _**

**_No way_**

**_But I don't want to escape..._**

**_I just can't stop....I just can't stop...._**

**_I just can't stop....I just can't stop...._**

She couldn't help but feel as Ranma himself had sung those words. She kept her gaze upon them, moving wherever their feet decided to take them; however their hips wanted to express themselves. She grew hotter than the floor screaming at the pair, fingers sliding against the hidden skin beneath the thin fabric, stalling at his chest, rubbing maddeningly slow as he arched against him. His head dipped forward to taste him, intoxication clear at the first burst of flavor hitting the back of his selective pallet.

She tore her gaze away from them growling. How could Mousse do such a thing?!

**_I can feel her on my skin_**

**_I can taste her on my tongue_**

**_She's the sweetest taste of sin_**

**_The more I get the more I want..._**

Could it get much hotter in here? He decided on a safe yes, groaning softly as his lover kissed the nape of his neck. A gentle taste never seemed enough, but it always got his blood boiling and his body calling for Mousse. The hem of his shirt lifted itself; sensual fingers tracing the soft lines of his abs, pressing and forcing him to move a little faster, a little more desperately, until the need to feel him was too great to resist. He spun and pressed himself into him, shuddering against the thump of the music vibrating alongside the hunger in Mousse's eyes.

**_She wants to own me..._**

Here on the floor, he belonged. In his lovers arms away from life's troubles. Ukyo and Ryoga looked on in satisfaction.

**_Come Closer..._**

"Mousse...."

**_She says...Come Closer..._**

"Smack me if I ever let you get away from me," Mousse groaned. "Oh god..."

**_And I just can't pull myself away_**

**_Under a spell I can't break_**

**_I just can't stop....I just can't stop...._**

**_I just can't stop....I just can't stop...._**

There was no telling who started it, or who ended it. Mousse lifted him off of the floor, dropping him on his waist and falling to the floor to grind against him. Ranma lifted his hips, willingly writhing against him, unable to tear himself away from the possessive growls against his throat. The crowd screamed even louder than before, but it fell on deaf ears. He could only hear his own heartbeat thumping in tune to Mousse's silent calls, and only felt his hands lifting him back up and kissing him into a blazing heat that easily seared any and all sense he could muster.

They parted with a teasing lick; Mousse smirking while Ranma blushed under his slight smile.

**_And I just can't free myself _**

**_No way_**

**_But I don't want to escape..._**

"Hot..."

"Hmm. Very. Love me?"

**_I just can't stop....I just can't stop...._**

"Love you...forever...."

"Love you too...my heart..."

**_I just can't stop....I just can't stop...._**

Unknown to them, Akane had heard every word vowed on that floor. She held a scream in, refusing to let her heart sink just yet and ran away from them under the drowning music.

**_I just can't stop..._**

* * *

**_TimeLine outside; 2:34 a.m._**

"God, you guys were something else tonight! Come back soon, ya?!"

"We'll be back!" Ranma called back to the bouncer. "Sometime soon!"

"Yeah?! Just let me know and I'll hook you up!"

By now the foursome were half way down the block. It wasn't far enough not to see their bouncer friend toss someone a few feet for trying to sneak in while he was preoccupied. They laughed and went on with their journey home, or at least to someplace where they could crash for the night.

"So were are we headed?" Ukyo asked. "My place or back to your house Ranma?"

"I don't know...whichever is closer I guess."

"Tired huh?"

"Very...but it was the most fun I've had in so long!" he laughed clinging onto Mousse. "I could do this every night..."

"Obviously...you two practically fucked on the floor..."

"Who's to say we didn't?" Mousse smirked. "AH! Hey..."

Ranma pulled his hand back from where it was planted upside his lover's skull. "Shut up..."

"Every time one opens their eyes...there's an adventure waiting for them," Ryoga said. The others quieted at his silent musing, well aware that the solemnity of his nature wasn't something he could just write off. When he said something, he meant it. Happosai had found that out the hard way earlier this week. "Some like to pass you by...others will willingly smack you right in the face. And there are the roundabouts that leave and shoot you between the eyes. Everyday is not promised a written peace. Chaos is strange...and tends to draw out the best and the worst in us."

"....How old are you?"

He shoved Ukyo to the side and walked off with her laughing behind him. "Old enough. I've seen my fair share of adventures...usually minding people who attract trouble."

"We do not!" Ranma and Mousse protested.

"Riiight. Either we're chasing after you...or rescuing the girl who can't mind her business."

Ukyo heartily agreed. "She knew she wanted to go...why'd she lie?"

"Ach, who knows? Hey! I know!"

Mousse stopped short of his next step and almost lit him on fire. That tone of voice couldn't fool him no matter what the excitement was fronting. Ryoga grinned at him. "No. No--Ryoga, NO!"

"What?? It's just a cave. Some hidden treasure...We could go explore it next weekend!"

"When you say cave, I think big ugly thing that lives in it and wants to EAT US."

"But you can handle it."

"So?! Maybe I don't want to--"

"Oh ho! Someone's gettin lazy eh?! What would yer fat'er say against the likes of ye backin' doun to some measley troll?!"

Mousse groaned, sorely tempted to kill him here and now. "Ugh...I hate it when you DO THAT..."

"Do what??"

"I swear, you start speaking Gaelic and---"

Ryoga leapt back full intending on running from Mousse's sprint. However the sudden body that walked from the shadows killed that thought and any sense of fun he might have been having. He stepped back, urging Mousse to do the same. Ukyo hid behind them on instinct alone. The only one who didn't quite budge was Ranma. He remained on the outside of their little circle, pinned by the gleam of a weapon he'd never expected to see so close. The shadowed figure held it up for all to see, though its aim was upon Ranma gripped tight by his sudden fear.

"How...could YOU?!" it screamed. "You were everything....**EVERYTHING**!!"

"What?! What did I do?!"

"You ruined it all...EVERYTHING...I don't understand....weren't we enough?!"

"Wha?! I don't even know you!"

"You might not....but your **_fianc_** DOES!! DIE DAMN YOU!!"

The world tipped itself again, and left him dizzy as he tried to make sense of it. The sounds of scuffling, screaming, and someone running away made it harder to see. He opened his eyes and winced at the throb in the back of his skull. Yeah, kissing the concrete like that wasn't a good way to conserve someone's mind.

"Ow..."

"Ranma! Oh god....are you okay?!"

He nodded as best he could, grunting when he was hauled off of the floor and held tightly. Bits of the world came back with the scent of him, and the scent of something else staining his hands. A single shot had rung out into the night, followed by the cry of the wounded. The gun fell onto the ground, its sound drowned out by the heavy footsteps running away from the sight of emerald eyes glowing angrily. Those eyes now looked at him in worry, scared for him rather than himself. He wanted to smack him and kiss him all in the same breath.

He settled for straitening himself out and pressing his hand firmly against the wound.

Ryoga winced under the loud howl that pierced the night. It wasn't Mousse's howls of protest that made his spine snap in the unbearable anxiety of it all. It was the silent threat that sliced through the cool air; a promise that would be taken up upon if something was not done about this.

"Craaaaap....this is going to suck SO bad...."

* * *

**_Mid_****_day..._**

"Ow...stop touching it!"

"Just sealing it off...ah...there! Good as gold."

He shrugged, sighing as he tested the wrap of bandage upon his left shoulder. It was a good hold and wouldn't come undone easily, like he'd expected from the likes of a man who knew how to wrap almost any wound he'd acquired himself. He thanked him quietly and moved along with the others in the direction of what clearly was no longer a safe place.

Three trips into the night had him worn and ready to go back to sleep. The first trip involved a phone call that landed him in the local ER. The paramedics were rather concerned about the amount of blood he'd lost, but the wound itself wasn't anything more than a flesh wound. The bullet had grazed his left shoulder and took a nice chunk of it with it, but it didn't do any internal damage. Everything worked fine, moved fine, but there was the contending feat of getting stitches.

"They just put the S-T in front of what it is..." he muttered. "Humans..."

The second trip was a trip out of that ER with a bottle of pain medication and worrying doctors watching them go. They had wanted to admit him overnight of precaution's sake, but Ryoga nor he would have any of it. No one else need afford the moment of realization that the horns on his head were his and his alone. Somewhere in the midst of getting to the hospital, they had decided to make an appearance. He'd come in with them and left with the doctors and patients alike wondering if they were clipped in or screwed in. After that interesting and awkward moment, they'd traveled to Ukyo's home and crashed there for the night.

Getting up from that blissful darkness hurt more than his arm did at the moment. Had he the time, he might have slept three days away. But there were more pressing things to worry about and deal with, lest they truly become a burden. It was the only reason for this final trip, walking against a harsh heat that did nothing more than further his temper. His lover walked aside him, worried and irritated himself. He could find no fault in his silence, although he didn't quite notice it when his arm flared up again.

He made an effort to rip it off and scratch it, but was stopped by a single hand.

"Mousse. Take it easy..."

"I'm fine Ranma...It just itches!! A LOT!"

"Guys, why are we headed for his house this hour in the day?" Ukyo asked from behind. "Why not wait a little longer? Shouldn't we find the asshole who did this?!"

"No need. We already know who did this...or what did this," Ryoga sighed. "I've heard of demons manifesting from strong emotions, but I ne'er thought I'd see one for mi'self. Anyhow...that thing was trying to kill Mousse, and would just as easily have killed Ranma. Emotions are unstable...and demons born from them are probably more dangerous than anything."

"Do we need to--"

"No. We know where it is...its just a question of sealing it or killing it. It was a good thing Mousse moved in time...quick thinking..."

"Stupid person." Mousse growled. "Will this thing ever stop itching!?"

"As soon as you stop thinking about it." Ranma said, placing a hand on top of it. There was a strange glow, red as usual, but there was something about it that made Mousse raise an eyebrow. That sharp itch diminished itself quickly, leaving no more than a faint buzz worthy of a gnat. He could easily ignore it, and did so as he kissed the back of his hand.

"Mousse?"

"Come on...adventure is about to smack us dead in the face."

Ranma took off after Mousse with Ryoga and Ukyo tagging along from the rear. They didn't stop running, even as they approached the closed off gates to the Tendo Dojo. That wasn't a problem for them. Mousse took the lead in leaping the fence and running to the back where the pond was. As usual, the side doors were opened, revealing Genma and Soun over their usual game board, fighting over who cheated as they usually did. Happosai was hoping back and forth with a huge load of ladies underwear in his sack, screaming his usual "What a haul! What a haul!" and neatly avoided Kasumi in her daily routine of cleaning the house. Nabiki was at the table yet again, flipping through her magazines rather than her textbooks and Akane--

"Ranma my boy! Where have you been?!" Genma shouted out when he caught sight of them. "Do you know what time it is?!"

Was nowhere in sight.

"It's after twelve and I was OUT all night for once," Ranma answered. "Not babysitting the old freak like you begged me too so you could go learn another secret technique to beat him."

"Ah ha! I knew you two were up to something!" Happosai pelted Genma in the back of his head with his fist. "So that's why you tried to sneak out! My own students turning on me?! It's disgraceful I tell you!"

"We're sorry master!"

"You're gonna be sorry when I get through with you!"

"Hey Ranma, do you know what's wrong with Akane?" Kasumi asked. Something wrong with Akane? It was clearly news to him, seeing the puzzled look he tended to get when something wasn't adding up. She didn't think it added up either. "She came home last night in tears."

"She wasn't with me last night," Ranma mused, "She said she was going out with her friends..."

"But you both went to the TimeLine...didn't you?" Nabiki asked him as he made his way into the house with the others. Again he blinked in confusion. "I overheard her say there was a change in plans. She wanted to go to the TimeLine for some reason. I figured it was because you were going?"

"No...we didn't see her--"

"AH! Mousse--what the hell happened to you?!"

He clearly was not expecting Nabiki of all people to take any interest in his wound. Kasumi, yes...Nabiki...Weird. Very Weird. However strange it may have been, she was clearly upset by it and wanted information. "Um...I was shot??"

".....WHAT?!"

"It's nothing major..."

"Nothing Major?!" Happosai cried leaping into the room to jab him in the head. "You could have been **killed**! Do you know what that could do to the order? To the world?! What about...mmph?!"

"Can it yah old freak!" Ryoga hissed clapping a hand over his mouth, "Or do you want to blow it for them?!"

"Someone tried to shoot you?" Soun asked. "Do you know who?"

"No we don't," Mousse lied. No use in upsetting him any further than he appeared, or getting anyone else riled up about this. "Look, I need a moment to breathe...and where the hell **is** Akane anyhow?!"

"She's in her room, crying for all we know," Nabiki sighed, seemingly uninterested in why her sister was so sad. "She came home...screaming It's all over or something like that. I thought she had broken up with a boy or something, but then I remembered she has a fianc and hasn't gone out on a date **_yet_**."

"Oh dear," Kasumi sighed turning toward Ranma. "You don't think..."

"I don't know..."

Ranma bit his lip in silent thought. Why would Akane change her plans and go to the Timeline with her friends? Was she that determined to find out about what he didn't want to share with her? He had his reasons as did the others, but it looked as if she wanted in on something she would never understand. How could she? She never once tried to get to know him for who he is. If she did, then maybe she'd have known.

His thoughts flew back to the far corners of his mind when the sound of heavy footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. It was Akane, in shambles and a disarray from her clothes to her face. Dark circles where under her eyes, telling the story of a night that had taken its toll on a poor girl and something more to those who looked closely enough. Mousse growled softly, accidentally bringing her attention to himself and drawing out the anger she had kept bottled up for so long. Her fist tightened on the banister, cracking it with its abnormal strength when sparks of mutual hate flared up.

Ranma sighed, caught in the middle of it yet again.

"What are you doing here?! Don't you spend enough time here as it is?!" she spat. "Go home already!"

"What home?! You make it pretty obvious that I've no home here! If you wanted to see, to really **see**, open your eyes fool! You didn't have to follow us...you would have seen with your own eyes what was and wasn't meant to be!"

"What are you talking about?! I didn't--"

"You said you were going there," Nabiki interrupted, not in the least bit amused at being made a fool. "Don't fucking lie about it either. You had to have gone! You wouldn't have come home like that if you didn't see!"

"So what if I went?! I didn't see you..."

"It was pretty hard not to see us," Ryoga said quietly, getting closer to Akane until they were only centimeters apart. She opened her mouth to say something, but he shut it with a single finger pressed against her lips. "Everyone saw us...we were in the middle of the club. Now...whatever you saw, or **heard**, you will keep it to yourself. YOU my dear," he hissed pushing her to sit upon the staircase, "are in very deep shit right now."

"Why are you doing this?! Ryoga, you hate Ranma!"

"Hey, don't bring me into this. Things change...you need to change too."

"Change?! Oh you mean like Ranma and Mousse on the dance floor dancing together as if they were fucking?! Oh, but I'm sure they've already done that too since they spend so much time together!! Tell you what, you and Ukyo can find Ranma and Mousse a house for wedding gift, because they are not staying here!!"

"What is the meaning of this?!" Soun cried. "What is going on?! Akane, I thought you understood that they are friends!"

"Friends? Friends?! My ass! Ranma and Mousse aren't friends! They're lovers!! Ranma is a jerk who is a fag marrying this asshole who ruined everything! You could have told me instead of me finding out like this RANMA."

"You're not going to deny this are you boy?" Genma asked. Ranma couldn't help but wonder at the sudden seriousness of his father as he looked at him with his arms crossed. "You're not going to deny what she claims, are you?"

"....no. I'm not. I love Mousse and frankly I don't care what any of you think anymore. So you know what, if you can't take it then screw you. I'll find my own place, my own family...my own life!"

No one could say anything to Ranma, or had the opportunity to, for as soon as he finished he ran strait up the stairs past Ryoga and Akane. Mousse ran up the stairs behind him, smoothly avoiding the arm reaching for him and darting out of sight in one fluid motion. Ukyo and Ryoga remained where they were, staring at the other rather than at the person who had started a chain of events. She herself, happened to be staring at the wall angrily.

"YOU IDIOTS!" Happosai cried angrily. "Do you realize what you have done?! You've destroyed the order after I specifically told you not to! For every time the demon marks his mate of eternity, he lies in WAIT until his destined chooses to reveal their love! Prying eyes who break the silence invite the other realm to ruin what has been everlasting! MORONS!!"

"What are you talking about?" Nabiki asked. "What demon?"

"Mousse! Mousse is a demon! Always has, always will be!! Ranma's the one who's his mate of eternity!"

"Whoa...calm down. Just explain this to us...slowly. Okay?"

"Both...have souls older than time," Happosai explained as calmly as he could manage. "Cologne and I know because we have seen these two in other people, living other lives! Man or woman, both found each other, always Msu as a demon and Ranma as his mate. Only thing is, they were always male!"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No. It wasn't. Not to us anyhow and not to many others. However, when someone of a jealous tongue exposes them, their souls begin to fade and their current bodies die before the true mating can be achieved! Joining both demon and mate would mean the end of a vicious cycle."

"What cycle?"

"The cycle of needless death! If they die before Shinjuku gates open to reveal the Demon king, then he will kill everything in his path until the gate disappears and with it his reign on earth. Then the cycle will begin again and it will end again and we all know who to blame if these two die..."

"Master...you mean the old stories where true?!" Soun cried. "Everything you said was true?!"

"He's not kidding," Genma sighed. "We should have seen it coming."

"You idiots didn't want to listen, now deal with it!" Happosai roared angrily. He smacked them each a good one upside their heads and hopped up the stairs, not wasting the opportunity to glare at Akane where here eyes were burning into the wall. "Jealously...isn't pretty on a young lady," he hissed. "Neither is her temper. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and focus on what is important."

"I don't...know what you mean...."

"Yes you do." Ryoga hissed moving past them both. "Snap out of it and grow up!"

* * *

"Ranma..."

"Mousse, I meant what I said. I don't care who knows anymore. I will scream it from the rooftops and the highest point earth has to give me if I have to...I love you, and I don't care what anyone says. I will never leave your side, no matter what the circumstance."

"You really mean that don't you?"

"Yes! I truly mean it. I've always known it...somehow. Mousse, Msu...I don't care what happens between us...I will always be there for you. I vow this on the very blood flowing through my veins. I give myself to you."

Mousse moved forward, taking that youthful face into his hands to kiss a tear of mixed emotions away from him. Sadness, Happiness, Bitterness; he could taste it all in that one tear. Ranma's hands moved from his sides to rest upon Mousse's, still caressing his face in that gentle manner he'd grown to know from the inside out. His eyes fell slightly, heavy with the weight of love at its heaviest moment until finally those velvet lips caressed his in a kiss that said so much.

"Nothing will come between us...nothing. I won't allow it. You are mine and mine alone and I am yours and yours alone."

"Yes..."

"This chapter is over...it's time to move on to the next."

"As long as you're by my side...I don't care."

"Forever?"

"Ever after."

Mousse embraced him, burying his nose into the ebony locks, filled with the sweet smells of the previous night flowing all around them. His eyes closed; a tune brought to life through his voice to sing a silent song filled the room in the next few minutes, distracting to the mark that made itself known on Ranma's shoulder. They stayed lost in the other's essence, unaware of the spying eyes in the doorway, as noticeable as day. Ryoga looked to Happosai's snort, agreeing with the little man for once in his life.

"I know...what do we do now?"

"They've made the vow...but will it be honored is the question."

"For some weird reason....I think it just might."

* * *


End file.
